In 2019, filmmaker Guy Ritchie went back to his crime comedy roots with “The Gentlemen,” a film very much in the vein of early films like “Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch.” And, of course, in the ensuing years, especially during the pandemic, in the rush and craze for content, everyone wanted a spin-off that would pay handsomely for them, and creators were more happy to oblige.
So “The Gentlemen” has become a new Netflix series called “The Gentlemen” again from Guy Ritchie, who remains a writer, director, and producer on the series. How does it all connect?
In the “Gentlemen” series, Eddie Halstead (Theo James) has inherited a large estate from his father, but he learns that the land has become part of Mickey Pearson’s weed-growing empire, the character played by Matthew McConaughey in the original film.
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Now, it’s unclear if McConaughey will appear or not, and it’s certainly never been reported or confirmed by the trades, but Ritchie has clearly found a narrative device to tether the film and series together.
The cast for the series is pretty big and star-studded. On top of James, the series stars Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Giancarlo Esposito, Peter Serafinowicz, Vinnie Jones, Chanel Cresswell, Max Beesley, and Ray Winstone as a big mob boss.
Here’s the official synopsis:
THE GENTLEMEN sees Eddie Horniman (Theo James) unexpectedly inherit his father’s sizable country estate – only to discover it’s part of a cannabis empire. Moreover, a host of unsavory characters from Britain’s criminal underworld want a piece of the operation. Determined to extricate his family from their clutches, Eddie tries to play the gangsters at their own game. However, as he gets sucked into the world of criminality, he begins to find a taste for it.
Writers on the eight-episode series include Guy Ritchie and Matthew Read, with Haleema Mirza, Billy and Theo Mason Wood, Stuart Carolan, and John Jackson. Ritchie directed at least the pilot, and other filmmakers directing episodes include Nima Nourizadeh, Eran Creevy, and David Caffrey.
“The Gentlemen” premieres on Netflix on March 7, 20 4. Watch the new trailer below.