Though it may not have been regularly cleaning up at awards shows, FX’s Sons of Anarchy rode off into the sunset this last fall as a bonafide ratings juggernaut. So what is FX going to do to fill the Grim Reaper-shaped hole in our hearts? They’ve commissioned Sons creator, Kurt Sutter, to get back to work on an all-new drama and, if the latest casting news is any indication, Bastard Executioner is poised to be television’s next big thing.

FX isn’t exactly in trouble. The Louie remains a (sporadic) jewel in its crown, the bloody American Horror Story remains a huge ratings hit, and newer, moodier shows like Fargo and The Americans are critical and awards season darlings. But the FX brand is equal parts prestige and pulp and with freshman shows like The Strain and Tyrant failing to find huge audiences, it’s no wonder FX is eager to revisit the Sutter brand.

For seven long years, Kurt Sutter dished up the story of prince Hamlet disguised as leather-clad mayhem. But in a post-Game of Thrones world, Sutter can dispense with the modern-day pretense. Bastard Executioner is set during the reign of Edward I (that’s Longshanks to you Braveheart fans) and follows a reluctant warrior knight who is pulled out of a peaceful life of farming back into the violent world of medieval battle. (Think Gladiator or, if you must, The Godfather.)

The actor playing our reluctant warrior is newcomer Lee Jones, but it was announced today that True Blood’s Stephen Moyer will join the cast as the second lead. So, just in case you’re keeping track, that’s Sons of Anarchy’s Kurt Sutter creating a violent and sexy Game of Thrones-esque adventure with True Blood’s Stephen Moyer in a leading role. Sounds like TV ratings Yahtzee to me.

Moyer and Jones will be joined by Katey Sagal (True Blood veteran and Sutter’s wife), Sam Spruell, and Sutter himself as a mute companion to Sagal’s mystical character. Deadline has a complete cast list (including character descriptions) here. Matthew Rhys of The Americans fame has snagged a recurring role and, based out the consonant-rich character name of Gruffudd y Blaidd, he can expect the actor will finally have an excuse to trot out his natural Welsh accent. And I’d be surprised if Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy, Braveheart, Gladiator) didn’t make an appearance at some point.

So in the increasingly crowded field of epically bloody television, what gives Bastard Executioner the finely-sharpened edge? Brand recognition, that’s what. He may have traded in motorcycle helmets for medieval helms, but tough women, a tight-knight band of warriors, and a reluctant hero? Yep, Sutter is back in the same old saddle.