Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen was hailed as a return to form when it hit theaters in 2020, and now the gangster franchise is being expanded with an all-new series on Netflix. While it doesn’t feature the same ensemble cast, the show is very much in the same vein as the film, with Ritchie serving as executive producer and director on the first two episodes.
The entire season is now available on Netflix, and to celebrate the release, we sat down with a big chunk of the ensemble cast. First up were Theo James and Daniel Ings, who play the blue-blooded brothers at the show’s core. They play the sons of a late Duke who’s left them somewhat impoverished but land-rich. They discover their late dad was in cahoots with a major marijuana dealer. With the older brother, Ings’s Freddy, heavily in debt to the mob, the younger, more responsible heir, James’ Eddie, must dive head-on into the underworld, something he proves to be good at.
In our chat, we talked a bit about the two guys having grown up watching Ritchie’s movies, along with the Godfather references, with Ings flattered by comparisons to John Cazale’s Fredo. We also speak to Kaya Scodelario, the great Ray Winstone and Harry Goodwins, who represent the gangster contingent. For Scodelario, this is a huge change of pace, but it is one she felt more comfortable diving into, with her saying she could relate more to the material than some of the more fantastical roles she’s taken in the past. Working with Ritchie is a dream for Goodwin, while Winstone proves why he’s such perfect casting as OG gangster Bobby Glass, with him channelling his character in a way that I got a big kick out of.
Check out our review of the seriously fun series right here. The Gentlemen is now streaming!