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MobLand is a star-studded British crime drama by director/producer Guy Ritchie debuting on Paramount+ on March 30, 2025. Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Dame Helen Mirren headline the series, which began as an American spin-off of Ray Donovan before moving overseas. The drama traces two of London's most influential crime families vying for city control, with a fixer named Harry Da Souza becoming the key link between them.

With 10 episodes slated between March 30 and June 1, MobLand will air the first two episodes upon the debut, followed by weekly episodes every Sunday. In addition to recognizing actors like Geoff Bell from Ritchie's popular British crime movies, Peaky Blinders fans will spot familiar faces when MobLand premieres on Paramount+ next week. Here are the actors and principal cast members featured in MobLand.

Tom Hardy & Joanne Froggatt as Harry & Jan Da Souza

Tom Hardy portrays Harry Da Souza in MobLand. Harry is a...

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera debuted on Netflix with so much anticipation and excitement that it’s easy to forget that the film began its life as a theatrical release. Indeed, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera only had an 18-day theatrical release window before the sequel was released on VOD. Just as the theatrical and VOD releases of Pantera triggered a resurgence in popularity for the first Den of Thieves film, the sequel’s expected streaming popularity and strong VOD performance led to the announcement of Den of Thieves 3.

Such calculations have defined the recent career of Den of Thieves series star Gerard Butler, whose decidedly formulaic and uninspired starring action vehicles have been primarily geared toward streaming audiences. Accordingly, while the role of rule-breaking Los Angeles police detective Nick O’Brien in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera and its predecessor have provided Butler with arguably the most distinctive and...

Guy Ritchie returns to the well-worn world of London gangsters when MobLand premieres on Paramount+ on March 30th, 2025. The star-studded affair features Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Dame Helen Mirren in a classic tale of two rival mafia families, in which the Harrigans and the Stevensons vie for criminal control of the city. The 10-part first season will roll out weekly episodes on the streaming platform throughout the spring.

In addition to detailing MobLand's official release schedule, describing the cast, premise, and connection to Showtime's popular crime series, Ray Donovan, is bound to draw viewers into the exhilarating and unpredictable criminal underworld that Guy Ritchie has been mastering since Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Strap up a bulletproof vest and tread lightly into MobLand's release schedule.

How Many Episodes Will There Be in 'MobLand'?

The first season of MobLand will premiere on Paramount...

Classic Hollywood star Ingrid Bergman once said, "A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." The Swedish actress knows a thing or two about the power of a kiss, as she was one half of one of the most iconic kisses in cinematic history when she and Humphrey Bogart starred in "Casablanca." However, as powerful as a kiss can be, sometimes the act of kissing may be a bridge too far for an actor behind a given character.

Regardless of what a script says a character is meant to do, sometimes there are certain things that an actor will refuse to do. For whatever reason, they may decide that they don't want to do their own stunts or have any nude scenes, as tasteful as they might. And there have been plenty of instances where stars have chosen not to participate in kissing scenes as well.

Guy Ritchie's work has a distinctive flair, includes different narrative styles, and often tells stories centered on crime. He's known for his unique direction and his movies' sharp dialogue. From the romantic comedy Swept Away starring Madonna to the Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr., Ritchie's career has many famous titles. However, it's the gangster comedy genre with which his name is practically synonymous. He often mixes action with comedy, and four of his best movies bring British humor to gangster stories.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, RocknRolla, and The Gentlemen were released from 1998 to 2019. Spanning two decades, these gangster movies remain original and entertaining, featuring great performances from stars like Brad Pitt and Matthew McConaughey. They also include some of the most memorable scenes in Ritchie's filmography, like Jason Statham's monologue in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' opening scene, or the dog eating a diamond in Snatch.

Gerard Butler has long been a staple of the action genre, and it seems as if he's only leaned harder into this area of his career over the last decade or so. After becoming a big name due to movies like Reign of Fire (2002) and 300 (2006), Butler appeared in a handful of exciting action flicks, including RocknRolla (2008), Gamer (2009), and Machine Gun Preacher (2011). It was in 2013, however, that Butler's action hero persona really evolved.

In 2013, Butler starred in Olympus Has Fallen, which could be seen as the start of a new phase of his career. In addition to starring in two sequels to this White House action movie, including London Has Fallen (2016) and Angel Has Fallen (2019), Butler appeared in a mix of action-forward movies that varied quite significantly in quality, including Geostorm (2017), Hunter Killer (2018), Greenland (2020), Copshop (2021), and Plane (2023). There was one 2018 title, however, that really struck a chord with audiences.

A...

Tom Hardy steps up and pays wages for TV Crew ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Tom Hardy has made a generous move that is rarely seen in the Hollywood industry. The actor stepped in to cover the wages of an entire TV crew after the construction company responsible for building sets for Guy Ritchie’s upcoming series, ‘The Associate’ went bankrupt.

Hardy, while filming scenes for the show in London, learned that around 50 freelance workers were left in a tough spot when Helix 3D, the construction company responsible for building sets, suddenly collapsed.

The Company Refused to Pay Out Wages Before Christmas’

Reports suggest that the company failed to pay out $310,000 in wages just before Christmas and its CEO, Brian Dowling, informed the workers last week that their pay would not be processed until after the New Year.

Trending Mufasa vs The Lion King On Rotten Tomatoes: Shah Rukh Khan’s Son AbRam Turns The Lucky Charm?...

Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan have joined the cast of Guy Ritchie’s Paramount+ series.

Previously developed as ‘The Donovans,’ a spin-off of the Showtime series ‘Ray Donovan,’ which starred Liev Schreiber, the series will now be a stand-alone project with no ties to the franchise.

The series will centre around two warring families based in London whose enterprises stretch across the globe and the fiercely loyal ‘fixer’ charged with protecting one of them at all costs.

Also in news – John Krasinski & Matthew Rhys set for Amazon drama series ‘Silent River’

Hardy takes on the role of Harry Da Souza, described as “a professional conciliator on behalf of the Harrigan family.” Brosnan will play Conrad Harrigan, “the head of a very successful Irish crime family based out of London for whom Harry works.” Mirren will play Maeve Harrigan, Conrad’s wife and the Harrigan family matriarch.

Ronan Bennett...

Guy Ritchie's series starring Tom Hardy and Pierce Brosnan gets a major filming update. The currently untitled series is being filmed under the working title The Associate, and was previously known as The Donovans. The series is described as a global crime TV show centered on two warring families, as well as a "fixer" who is tasked with protecting one of the families. Hardy plays Harry Da Souza, a professional conciliator who works for the Harrigan family. Brosnan plays Conrad Harrigan, leader of a successful Irish crime family. Helen Mirren also stars in the series as Maeve Harrigan, Conrad's wife.

As reported by Deadline, filming has officially begun on the series in London. The show will air on Paramount+ and Showtime, and representatives from the companies spoke about the series to celebrate the start of filming. Chris McCarthy, Paramount Global Co-CEO and President/CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios,...

Updated: Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan have officially signed on to star in the Paramount+ series from Guy Ritchie and Ronan Bennett.

It was previously reported that the trio were in final negotiations to join the show. The project had initially been developed with the title “The Donovans,” with plans to function as an across-the-pond spin-off of the Showtime series “Ray Donovan,” which was led by Liev Schreiber for seven seasons and a film adaptation. However, it has been reworked into a standalone series with no connections to that franchise. It was also previously reported that it was filming under the working title “The Associate,” but that is no longer the case.

Production is now underway in London, with the untitled show slated to debut in 2025 on Paramount+ with Showtime. The role reunites Hardy and Ritchie, who previously worked together on the 2008 film “RocknRolla.” It also keeps Mirren in business with Paramount,...

A video game adaptation was seemingly the perfect Venom replacement for Tom Hardy, but the project was canceled before it could see the light of day. Born on 15 September 1977, Tom Hardy made his acting debut with Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down and gradually grew from strength to strength after landing supporting roles in movies like Star Trek: Nemesis and RocknRolla. The actor's breakthrough came in 2008 when he played Charles Bronson in 2008's Bronson, paving the way for him to land more mainstream roles in movies like Inception, Lawless, and This Means War.

Since then, Tom Hardy has been a part of many acclaimed movies and even a few shows, making him one of the most accomplished actors of modern times. In recent years, he has garnered more attention for his portrayal of Venom/Eddie Brock in Marvel's Venom trilogy. However, since his tenure as the comic book villain has finally ended,...

When RocknRolla hit theaters in 2008, Guy Ritchie fans rejoiced. The British filmmaker returned to his gritty London crime roots, which is undeniably what he does best. For some reason, it took him nearly a decade to return to crime films. With visceral action, an eclectic cast of characters, and Ritchie’s signature rapid-fire dialogue, RocknRolla […]

RocknRolla 2: Is Guy Ritchie Finally Ready to Revisit His Overlooked 2008 Cult Classic? Written by Tito Pernalete for Fortress of Solitude...

Georgian filmmaker Rusudan Glurjidze, whose anti-Putin drama “The Antique” (pictured) was nearly blocked from world premiering at the Venice Film Festival, is set to make her English-language debut with “Operation K.”

Unfolding in 1949 and 1950, the film is based on the true story of the Communist crackdown of Catholic monasteries in Czechoslovakia, resulting in mass incarcerations of thousands of monks.

Named Operation K after the Czech word for monastery (Klaster), the film charts the journey of Czech priest Josef Toufar who was tortured for defying his country’s Soviet-backed regime. Karel Roden, a veteran Czech actor whose international credits include “Orphan” and “RocknRolla,” is attached to star as Toufar.

Written by Gregory W. Jordan (“The Royal”), “Operation K” is set during the early Cold War era, as Communists were staging show trials, violently shuttering churches, and executing and imprisoning priests and nuns in then-Czechoslovakia.

Aside from “The Antique,” which is Georgia’s Oscar entry,...

I am sure you are familiar with those kinds of crime thrillers where a character (or a bunch of characters) finds oneself in the middle of a complicated gang war because they’ve robbed someone to satiate their greed, take care of some temporary hurdle in their life, or for no fault of their own. Matthew Vaughn’s Layer Cake is a great example. Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction fits the bill. Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths is an underappreciated entry into this subgenre. Abhinay Deo’s Delhi Belly, Kunal Kemmu’s Madgaon Express, Mrighdeep Singh Lamba’s Fukrey, and Rajesh Krishnan’s Lootcase are some decent films that explore the genre’s tropes through the lens of Bollywood. Then there are directors like Guy Ritchie and Joe Carnahan whose filmographies are chock-full of comedic capers like Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, RocknRolla, Smokin’ Aces, and Copshop. I...

Both actor Jason Statham and director Guy Ritchie debuted with Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. The movie's success not only made them more famous names but also turned them into an iconic actor-director duo. Every acclaimed filmmaker has that one actor they often work with. Martin Scorsese has Robert De Niro, Wes Anderson has Bill Murray, and Christopher Nolan has Cillian Murphy. Seeing these actors in specific director's movies never feels like it is getting tiresome.

Statham fits perfectly in Guy Ritchie's crime dramas and comedies about oddly named characters spewing witty dialogue. Though the two have only done five movies together, those few projects still made them prominent names in British cinema. It's unclear if the two will partner up again in the future, but fans of the duo still hold out hope. From Snatch to Wrath of Man, whenever Ritchie and Statham team up, people expect plenty of chaotic fun.

When it comes to Guy Ritchie movies, there are many films that fans of varying tastes can choose from. He has the Sherlock Holmes films for those who love mysteries, as well as war films like The Covenant. He also has a medieval fantasy movie in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and a Disney remake with Aladdin.

Despite tapping into many genres, Ritchie's go-to properties are crime comedies, especially those that deal with British gangsters. His most popular ones are Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch. However, as good as all these are, they don't hold a candle to his most underrated movie, RocknRolla. Coincidentally, with Netflix fans soaking in The Gentlemen TV series, some fans have been wondering why the RocknRolla sequel hasn't been made.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on September 9, 2024: Guy Ritchie remains one of the most unique and well-loved filmmakers working in Hollywood today.

Director Guy Ritchie loves putting together a stellar ensemble cast for his movies, and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is no exception. Other star-studded movies by Ritchie include Snatch, RocknRolla, and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, not to mention shows like Netflix's The Gentlemen.

Now, Ritchie follows suit with an interesting spy-comedy, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. This film retells the 1942 British Army black ops mission known as Operation Postmaster. The cast is as eclectic, star-studded, and engaging as can be.

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Updated on August 18, 2024, by Arthur Goyaz: As The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare becomes available for streaming, its star-studded cast continues to capture the attention of fans of action war movies and Guy Ritchie's work. This article was updated to add relevant information about Ritchie's filmography and the crew of his latest movie.

Henry Cavill Is the Indomitable Gus March-Phillipps

Actor...

Tom Hardy has established himself among the A-listers, all due to his impeccable acting prowess, which is seen in several of his projects. After making his debut with Black Hawk Down (2001), he garnered widespread acclaim with Christopher Nolan’s Inception.

Given that the movie was a critical and commercial success, it also marked his transition from an emerging talent to a mainstream star.

Tom Hardy in Inception | Warner Bros. Pictures

However, the actor seemed to have an amusing misunderstanding about why he was cast in the film. This was eventually solved when the film director finally spilled the beans.

Tom Hardy Had Misconception About His Inception Casting

There have been instances in Hollywood when several fascinating stories have been curated behind the scenes. One such story involved director Christopher Nolan and actor Tom Hardy during the making of the 2010 blockbuster Inception.

Suggested“They were involved at the very inception of...

Tom Hardy reflected on losing out on the role of Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice, which still bothers him to this day. Despite the disappointment, Hardy has gone on to establish himself as a leading man in gritty action films and period pieces. Hardy will next star in The Bikeriders and Venom: The Last Dance, showcasing his abilities as a character actor.

Tom Hardy has had a long and successful career in Hollywood, playing everything from a comic book villain in The Dark Knight Rises, to a grizzled post-apocalyptic wander in Mad Max: Fury Road, but theres one role that he didnt land that still hurts to this day. Hardy first began his career in 2001 with roles in two military projects by way of Black Hawk Down and the HBO epic Band of Brothers, and since then hes been a leading man in several projects, carving his own path to success.

Zack Snyder's 2006 film "300," based on the comic book by Frank Miller, tells a hyper-stylized and not-the-least-bit-historically-accurate version of the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) wherein 300 Spartan soldiers managed to fend off anywhere from 120,000 to 300,000 soldiers of the Persian Empire for three full days. Both Miller's book and Snyder's film present the Spartans as teeth-gashing, testosterone-spitting, Spam-scented beefcake slabs comprised of nothing but pectoral muscles, testicles, and homophobia. They speak in "Join the Marines" recruiting slogans and disparage anything that's not at least 4000% more masculine than a two-ton bag of Tom Jones' chest hair.

Speaking of chest hair, none of the Spartans have any, happy to parade around their cartoonishly cut physiques as if they all possess a severe shirt allergy. Leading the charge is King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), a man who cannot help but add multiple exclamation marks after every sentence he speaks.

"300" was a massive hit,...

Filming is now underway on action adventure movie “Afterburn,” starring Dave Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson with Olga Kurylenko and Kristofer Hivju rounding out the cast.

The film is directed by J.J. Perry, who recently helmed Lionsgate’s “The Killer’s Game,” also with Bautista, working from a screenplay adapted by Matthew Johnson and Nimrod Antal from the “Red 5” comic book of the same name.

Set ten years after a solar flare wiped out technology across the globe, “Afterburn” follows ex-soldier Jake (Bautista), who works as a treasure hunter recovering valuable objects from the old world for powerful clients. His latest mission: team up with freedom fighter Drea (Kurylenko) to recover the Mona Lisa before an unhinged warlord gets there first.

The picture is produced by Neal H. Moritz (“Fast and Furious” franchise) and Toby Jaffe (“Total Recall”) for Original Film and Steve Richards for Endurance Media. Bautista will also produce for Dogbone Entertainment,...

Exclusive: Belgian distribution and production company Belga Films Group is reuniting with award-winning director Jaco Van Dormael to produce The Magician of Auschwitz, which will be his first English-language feature in 15 years after shooting mainly in French.

Van Dormael will direct from a screenplay adaptation by Jacob Marx Rice of Portuguese journalist and writer José António Dos Santos’ twin novels ‘The Magician of Auschwitz’ and ‘The Birkenau Scrolls’, about a Portuguese soldier, Russian girl and Jewish magician thrown together in the horror of Auschwitz.

Dos Santos drew the novels from authentic manuscripts written by members of the Sonderkommando during the Holocaust and found hidden near death camp crematoria post-liberation. They shed light on the harrowing experiences of the members of special command units composed of prisoners who were forced to help run the gas chambers and crematoria.

“Dos Santos casts a rare historical spotlight on the delusional beliefs on which...

Guy Ritchie's villains are captivating due to their compelling personalities, intelligence, and unapologetic wickedness. Characters like Jafar, King Vortigern, and Victoria Vinciguerra add depth and tension to their films' narratives. Ritchie's ability to create unforgettable antagonists, like Matthew Berger and Lenny Cole, showcases his directorial prowess.

Guy Ritchie is renowned for creating captivating and original characters, including his villains, who are so delightfully wicked that they're impossible not to admire. Throughout his filmography, Ritchie has crafted a diverse array of antagonists, each bringing their own unique brand of malevolence to the screen. From the volatile gang boss Hatchet Harry in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to the cunning and ruthless Lenny Cole in RocknRolla, these villains have become iconic figures in the world of crime cinema.

Ritchie's ability to bestow his antagonists with compelling personalities and memorable quirks has elevated them beyond mere foils for the protagonists,...

Left to right: Wrath of Man (United Artists), Sherlock Holmes (Warner Bros.), Guy Ritchie (Shutterstock), Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels (Universal Pictures), The Gentlemen (Miramax) Graphic: The A.V. Club Guy Ritchie’s two-and-a-half-decade career as a filmmaker has been a bit of a mixed bag, and that’s being generous.

Left to right: Wrath of Man (United Artists), Sherlock Holmes (Warner Bros.), Guy Ritchie (Shutterstock), Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels (Universal Pictures), The Gentlemen (Miramax)Graphic: The A.V. Club

Guy Ritchie’s two-and-a-half-decade career as a filmmaker has been a bit of a mixed bag, and that’s being generous.

Guy Ritchie's movies showcase his versatility in storytelling, from gritty British gangster flicks to big-budget Hollywood remakes. Ritchie's career has had highs and lows, with some films like "Swept Away" failing to hit the mark but others like "Aladdin" being surprisingly successful. The distinct style and humor of Guy Ritchie shine through in films like "Snatch" and "RocknRolla," making them beloved entries in his filmography.

Guy Ritchie movies have showcased the filmmaker as a distinct director who is always changing. Ritchie could be seen as the UK's answer to Quentin Tarantino, as both directors make hugely entertaining, violent action movies with multistranded narratives, with the difference being that Ritchie's films have such an authentically British approach to the material. However, the filmmaker's career can almost be split into two halves, as he drastically changed the type of movies he directed over his career, making every Guy Ritchie movie a fresh surprise.

Thandiwe Newton showcases her versatility through captivating performances in various genres over the last 30 years. Her ability to bring depth and emotion to her characters has earned critical acclaim and accolades, such as a BAFTA award. Newton's impactful roles in movies like Beloved, Crash, and The Pursuit of Happyness solidify her status as a formidable presence in Hollywood.

Thandiwe Newton began her acting career with great momentum and has maintained it ever since, appearing in some of Hollywood's finest movies over the last 30 years. From her early roles in films like Flirting and Interview with the Vampire to her powerful performances in Beloved and Crash, Newton has consistently demonstrated her versatility and skill as an actress. Her work in both leading and supporting roles has garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including a BAFTA award for her performance in Crash.

Newton's ability to bring depth and emotional resonance to...

Theo James shines in The Gentlemen, a thrilling new Netflix series about deceit and family drama. But is The Gentlemen lifted from someone else's work? The connection between The Gentlemen and Guy Ritchie's past film, RocknRolla, is evident in similar characters and story elements. Both films highlight power dynamics, chaotic situations, and characters with drug habits in the crime world of England.

Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen is one of the most entertaining stories to hit Netflix in quite some time. Actor Theo James plays Eddie Horniman, a former Un officer who now has to take care of his late father’s massive Halstead estate — only to learn that the Glass family is running an equally humongous weed enterprise just below it. This new arrangement introduces some interesting characters like Suzie Glass and Stanley Johnston, who throw our young main character into a whirlwind of lies and deceit.

Even...

Exclusive: Giancarlo Esposito, star of series including Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, is staying in the criminal underworld with his latest project.

Esposito, coming off another turn as the sophisticated boss of a meth empire in Netflix’s The Gentlemen, is launching his first graphic novel.

He has co-created The Venetian, a story of commitment and sacrifice set against the backdrop of Venice’s criminal underworld.

Coming out via Gallery 13, part of The Gallery Books Group, a division of Simon & Schuster, the graphic novel was co-created by screenwriter Matt Wheeler and writer, storyboard artist Jay Martin.

Wheeler is working with Esposito on his next series, six-part crime thriller Parish for AMC, where he is a co-exec producer. He recently wrote the sequel series The Italian Job for Paramount+ and penned a series adaptation of Guy Richie’s Rocknrolla that was previously in development at UCP and Dark Castle.

Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen TV show earns praise with an exciting expansion of memorable characters – opening the door for some of his other movies to get the television treatment. Positive reviews for The Gentlemen on Netflix show the potential for a RocknRolla follow-up film or series, something teased at the end of the 2008 action movie. If a RocknRolla streaming show were made, it could fill a void for viewers who want to see more mob shows.

Netflix's The Gentlemen proves director Guy Ritchie's movies can have great spinoffs – and another one of his films deserves the show treatment. Ritchie is best known for his action movies with memorable characters, such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Wrath of Man. One of these films is 2019's The Gentlemen, a movie about cannabis dealer Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) trying to sell off his massive drug empire. The...

Starting with his 1998 debut movie, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, director Guy Ritchie established a signature style that has become its own recognizable subgenre over the past 25 years or so. Ritchie's movies like Snatch, Revolver and RocknRolla expanded his style of quirky, fast-talking British gangsters engaged in complicated and often ridiculous criminal enterprises. He later moved into large-scale franchise filmmaking with blockbusters like the two Sherlock Holmes movies, the movie version of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and the live-action Aladdin. Following his blockbusters' inconsistent reception, he made a self-conscious return to his early style with 2019's The Gentlemen.

That effort paid off with an entertaining movie and box-office success, but it's possible to end up with too much of a good thing, as the Netflix TV series version of The Gentlemen proves. Two hours of Ritchie's hyperactive crime comedy is enjoyable, but nearly eight hours...

Paramount+, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, and 101 Studios are teaming for a new series loosely based on the hit Showtime series “Ray Donovan.”

Titled “The Donovans,” the series will be fully written by Ronan Bennett with Guy Ritchie attached to direct and executive produce. It will be available to Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers later this year.

The official description of the series states, “With the most powerful clients in Europe, ‘The Donovans’ will see family fortunes and reputations at risk, odd alliances unfold, and betrayal around every corner; and while the family might be London’s most elite fixers today, the nature of their business means there is no guarantee what’s in store tomorrow.”

The series is executive produced by Richie, Bennett, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin and Ivan Atkinson.

“Guy Richie and Ronan Bennett are the ideal dream-team to create a new global hit franchise with ‘The Donovans,...

At best, Guy Ritchie's reputation errors on the side of eclectic. The British-born director has embraced a multitude of genres, breathing new life into crime thrillers in the early days of his career before banking a hard left to experiment with historical fiction, romance, and war. The films got bigger, and slicker, as Ritchie progressed as a filmmaker. He's worked hard to launch franchises, to build heightened worlds that run on intrigue and irreverence above all. And though not every project has worked out in Ritchie's favor, his sure-footed style has always been a heady joy to watch.

Sure, Ritchie's over-the-top style is at times easy to poke fun at. He's more or less made the same movie over and over, regardless of genre. "Sherlock Holmes" is not unlike "The Man from U.N.C.L.E," nor is "Snatch" all that far off from "RockNRolla." But there's something...

We have some very sad news to close out 2023, folks. Tom Wilkinson, one of the finest and most beloved character actors of this (or any other) generation, has died suddenly at 75. Deadline was the first to report the news. The twice Oscar-nominated co-star of Michael Clayton, Batman Begins, In the Bedroom, and many more films last appeared in Disney Plus’s sequel series to his breakout role in The Full Monty.

Between 1998 and 2018, Wilkinson was one of his generation’s most prolific character actors, with his output putting him up there with Brian Cox and Brendan Gleeson. He made over 65 movies and TV series in that twenty-year period, starring in everything from high-profile arthouse fare like Todd Field’s In the Bedroom to his role as Carmine Falcone in Batman Begins. He often played villains, such as in The Lone Ranger, but had the range to take on pretty much any part.

Exclusive: The Hideaway Entertainment has snapped up rights to Level Up, a high concept spec script from screenwriters David Matalon (Totally Killer) and Matthew Altman (Feed the Devil).

A sci-fi action comedy, Level Up is about a man who wakes up bound and blindfolded in a top-secret facility deep beneath Area 51, soon discovering that he has amazing but inexplicable new abilities. His only hope to escape is the alien he’s imprisoned with… and she hates humans. But as they navigate their way out, their unconventional alliance becomes the key to saving the world from an impending global catastrophe.

Jonathan Gray and Matthew Rhodes will produce on behalf of The Hideaway Entertainment, alongside Navid McIllhargey of Vandal Entertainment and Erik Olsen of Apocalyptic Entertainment. The Hideaway’s Ryan Cassells will serve as executive producer. The team is currently meeting with directors and plans to shoot next year.

“As writers,” Matalon and Altman said,...

At the end of Guy Ritchie's 2008 gangster film "RocknRolla," a title card appeared on screen, promising that "Johnny, Archy and the Wild Bunch Will Be Back in The Real Rocknrolla." Whether this was meant as a stylistic flourish or a true promise of a sequel, it was a bold note to end on from a filmmaker known for his gutsy, in-your-face style filmmaking.

Yet well over a decade later, no sequel to "RocknRolla" has ever materialized. What happened, and could a sequel still be in the works? The answer to that question is complicated, and not just because several of the movie's stars -- including Tom Hardy and Idris Elba -- have become catastrophically famous in the intervening years. Though one cast member told an outlet the movies were planned as a trilogy, recent developments have made a "Rocknrolla" sequel seem a lot less likely. Here's everything we know:...

Tom Hardy's first major film gag was playing one of the many faceless soldiers in Ridley Scott's overwrought war thriller "Black Hawk Down" in 2001. The actor was only about 24 at the time and had just come off of the acclaimed HBO WWII miniseries "Band of Brothers." His second feature was also a war drama called "Deserter," a low-profile project that was released in 2002. Casting directors seemed to like the way Hardy looked in uniform.

Also in 2002, however, Hardy was offered a higher-profile role -- and a very challenging one -- when he was cast as Shinzon in Stuard Baird's "Star Trek: Nemesis." Shinzon was a clone of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) who had been raised in a Reman mining colony, and who would rise up against his Roluman oppressors and attempt to take control of the Romulan Star Empire. Shinzon was essentially a younger, more aggressive version of Picard,...

Quick Links The Latest RocknRolla 2 News RocknRolla 2 Is Not Confirmed RocknRolla 2 Release Date RocknRolla 2 Cast RocknRolla 2 Story RocknRolla 2 Didn't Happen Because Of Guy Ritchie's Schedule RocknRolla 2, also known as The Real RocknRolla, was promised in the end credits of the 2008 film, but over a decade later, its release looks unlikely. A recent lawsuit claiming that Guy Ritchie used someone's life for the movie's script and that plot points were reused in The Gentleman has complicated matters surrounding the potential sequel. The original film had a great cast and a loyal fanbase, but with no official confirmation or release date for RocknRolla 2, it's unclear if it will ever happen, despite the lingering interest.

RocknRolla 2, Aka The Real RocknRolla, was promised in the end credits of the 2008 cult Guy Ritchie crime thriller. Over a decade has passed since, however, and the chances of the Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels director's...

No one would suggest that Guy Ritchie has a patent on making British gangster movies, by any means, but the phrase "British gangster movie" is likely to make many think first about Ritchie's distinct crime movies. He broke out in the late 1990s and early 2000s with gritty and darkly funny crime movies like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000), and more recent years have seen him make comparable films like RocknRolla (2008) and The Gentlemen (2019).

Director Guy Ritchie denies allegations of breaking a contract with The Gentlemen, claiming former friend Mickey de Hara's script was only a minor influence. Ritchie argues that The Gentlemen was made to fill the gap in modern gangster films, not because of de Hara's script contributions. The lawsuit between de Hara and Ritchie continues as negotiations for an out-of-court settlement have fallen through.

Director Guy Ritchie has recently denied allegations (via Variety) from a recent lawsuit that claims Ritchie broke a contract agreement with the film The Gentlemen. Ritchie is best known for his fast-paced action films like Snatch (2000), Sherlock Holmes (2009), The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015), Wrath of Man (2021), and The Covenant (2023). One of his most acclaimed films, The Gentlemen (2019), is currently involved in a plagiarism lawsuit where former friend Mickey de Hara claims Ritchie copied his script for the film.

The Gentlemen stars Matthew McConaughey, an American expat attempting...

Guy Ritchie recently responded to a lawsuit accusing him of including material in action-comedy film The Gentlemen copied from the script for an unmade sequel to 2008's RocknRolla.

As reported by Variety, Ritchie's defense filing rejects actor and writer Mickey de Hara's allegation that The Gentlemen's screenplay represented a "reproduction of a substantial part" of the abandoned RocknRolla sequel. The filmmaker, best known for 2000 gangster movie Snatch and Robert Downey Jr.'s two Sherlock Holmes outings, also denied that De Hara wasn't compensated for his contribution to the script for RocknRolla 2, which Ritchie titled "The Real RockNRolla." According to Ritchie's defense filing, De Hara received £25,000 for his input on The Real RocknRolla screenplay -- a payment that Ritchie contends gave him ownership over whatever story or character elements De Hara supplied that did find their way into The Gentlemen.

Related: Guy Ritchie Sued for Copying Scenes From...

Snatch creator Guy Ritchie has responded to a lawsuit claiming he copied ideas for The Gentlemen from a friend and writer.

According to Variety, Ritchie submitted a filing to London’s High Court earlier this week, which denied that the idea for a long-gestating sequel to another of his movies, RocknRolla, was based on friend Mickey de Hara’s life or that he had hired him to write the sequel. Ritchie’s defense filing was delayed following a court order to give the parties time to negotiate and settle out of court.

De Hara’s claim, which emerged several months ago, said Ritchie used his script for the sequel along with plot points about his life and that this eventually had an influence on The Gentlemen, which copies the characters and specific plot points that were part of the planned sequel. His lawsuit had focused on overlaps in plot points.

If you’re a fan of Mel Gibson’s classic action flicks, be sure to stream them before they leave Max at the end of August.

All four “Lethal Weapon” movies and “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,” starring the late, great Tina Turner, will be leaving the streaming service. Luckily, you’ll have all month to watch them.

Watching the new “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” animated movie in theaters? Max has several films featuring the radical reptilians: the live-action “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze” (1991)

and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III” (1993), as well as the animated “Tmnt” (2007).

Kaiju fans will want to check out “Godzilla” (2014), “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019), “King Kong” (1933) and “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” (2012).

Finally, if horror is your thing, six “Hellraiser” films and “The Ring Two” make great summer scares.

Here’s everything leaving Max in August 2023

August 5

Hard Knocks:...

The new Gerard Butler film Kandahar has marked an unfortunate milestone for the star. The project, which opened in theaters on May 26, stars Butler as a CIA operative who goes undercover in Afghanistan. It took No. 7 at the box office this weekend, behind this weekend's other new wide releases The Little Mermaid 2023, The Machine, and About My Father as well as Fast X, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

This weekend Kandahar debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a firmly Rotten score of 46 percent. This marks the 30th film in his career that has received a Rotten score. This is a particularly overwhelming number when taken in consideration with the fact that he only has 43 scored movies on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning that about 70 percent of the titles he has starred in have met with critical derision.

The Last Five Years Have Still Been Great...

Just two years after he catapulted to stardom thanks to Zack Snyder’s 300, Gerard Butler teamed up with Guy Ritchie for a somewhat forgotten return to the director’s hallmark style in RocknRolla. While it may not be up there with Guy Ritchie movies like Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch, RocknRolla is a great crime movie with an incredible cast, yet it doesn’t get the love it deserves and has been long overshadowed by some of Butler’s bigger hits. Despite this, RocknRolla is a fun showcase of everything that made Butler a household name.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Air (Ben Affleck)

Sonny Vaccaro knows his basketball. As played with reliable conviction by Matt Damon, the head scout in Nike’s dwindling hoops division has a keen eye for the next great players, attending high school all-star tournaments around the country and scanning for potential endorsements. But Sonny is also a gambler, and on the tail end of his trips he jets over to Las Vegas to lock in a couple parlays, betting on NBA money lines and spreads before throwing all his winnings away at the craps table a minute later. You get the sense this has become his beleaguered ritual. At some point those basketball instincts and his penchant to go for broke will align and finally pay off.

Guy Ritchie's newly announced movie with Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal might break his recent streak of box office under-performance. While Ritchie's next movie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (also featuring Henry Cavill), isn't scheduled to release until 2024, his next untitled movie will feature Cavill and Gyllenhall as "two extraction experts tasked with planning an elaborate escape for a high-level female negotiator."

Despite a few notable big box office hits such as the Sherlock Holmes movies, which averaged over $500 million worldwide, and particularly Aladdin, which earned over $1 billion worldwide, Guy Ritchie's box office history isn't as successful as his filmography would suggest. Despite writing and directing classics like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Snatch; and RocknRolla, Ritchie's movies are all more niche hits with cult audiences. We have yet to see how well The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare will fare at the box office, but his action...

The decision to re-title “The Interpreter” to “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” is an odd one, at least on the surface. For 25 years, the filmmaker’s forte has been whiz-bang action-crime movies like “Snatch,” “RocknRolla,” and the recently released “Operation Fortune,” in which his (usually English) characters rattle off banter like actors in an improv warm-up game.

“The Covenant,” on the other hand, is arguably the director’s first foray into purely dramatic territory, the kind that has thus far occupied the margins of his work. It’s an Afghanistan war film about duty and guilt, focused on a U.S. soldier’s debt to his Afghan interpreter. The premise is hardly “Ritchie-esque” upon first glance, with a straightforward intensity that conceals no surprise tonal oscillations. However, it remains firmly within Ritchie’s stylistic wheelhouse — his command of the swiftly moving camera, and its focus on violent masculine subjects,...

Guy Ritchie better get his story together lock, stock and barrel because he’s now facing a lawsuit over 2019’s The Gentlemen, with its alleged original writer claiming the director took his ideas, tweaked them and repackaged them as his own.

Variety reports that writer Mickey De Hara is suing Guy Ritchie for breach of contract, claiming in the lawsuit that he was hired to pen a sequel to 2008’s RocknRolla to bring more authentic criminal elements to the story. After handing over the script in 2018, Ritchie had apparently moved on, telling De Hara that “the time of the gangster movie was over.” Jump just two years later and Guy Ritchie releases The Gentlemen.

De Hara alleges that Guy Ritchie used “unique aspects of the plot” of his screenplay for The Gentlemen, even lifting scenes directly, moments that could be seen as a bit too specific to not have been...

Guy Ritchie is facing a lawsuit for his Matthew McConaughey-led film “The Gentlemen”.

The lawsuit was filed last month in the London High Court by writer and actor Mickey De Hara, who claims he was hired by Ritchie to write a sequel to his 2008 gangster flick “RockNRolla”. De Hara delivered the screenplay, “about a protagonist who runs a marijuana business,” as per Variety, to Ritchie in 2018, however he claims the director told him that “the time of the gangster movie was over,” suggesting the project was axed.

Nonetheless, “The Gentlemen” was released two years later.

De Hara claims that the film, which also stars Charlie Hunnam and Michelle Dockery, is a “substantial” reproduction of his script, given McConaughey portrays a gangster named Mickey who is trying to sell off his marijuana empire.

Read More: ‘The Covenant’: Jake Gyllenhaal Is A Man On A Mission In New Guy Ritchie...