Audiences are no stranger to an ensemble cast, but amassing so much talent on the screen rarely produces feats of cinematic brilliance. As the widely panned Don’t Look Up seemed to reveal, Hollywood A-listers with star power can’t make up for a weak plot or chaotic structure. These films might make for a dazzling red carpet, but they’re forgotten all too quickly. It was something of a surprise then, that Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen became the success we know it as today, grossing more than $100 million worldwide during its January release just months before the global pandemic came to change cinema as we know it. Now, Netflix is looking to get in on its success by transforming it into a TV series for the streaming platform.
For those who are yet to view the film, The Gentlemen delivered a cinematic experience in keeping with the Guy Ritchie of films past. There were callbacks to previous films like Snatch, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, only in this instance the cast was one big name actor after another. Starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Pearson, the film followed the American expatriate who had come to build a criminal weed empire in Britain. Serving as his top enforcer was Charlie Hunnam as Raymond Smith, Hugh Grant as sleazy journalist Fletcher, Henry Golding as an up-and-coming criminal rival Dry Eye, and Michelle Dockery as Mickey’s wife, Rosalind.
Fans might be sceptical of Netflix’s pursuit to make the film into a TV series, but according to reports from Miramax, The Gentlemen actually began as a pitch for a TV series before evolving into a movie. In some ways, the project will now come full circle by fulfilling its original destiny.
As Deadline reports, Netflix is now in negotiations to green light the series adaptation of The Gentlemen, and it’s believed Richie co-wrote the pilot script with Matthew Read and will also go on to direct the first two episodes and serve as executive producer on the series. It’s unknown if any of the actors will reprise their roles in the series, but we’ll be sure to bring you more details as news unfolds.
