Theo James as Eddie Horniman in “The Gentlemen” on Netflix.
Guy Ritchie’s new Netflix series The Gentlemen dropped on the streaming platform on March 7. If you’re tuning in, you might be curious to know how The Gentlemen is connected to the director’s previous film, released in 2019.
Starring White Lotus star Theo James, Netflix’s The Gentlemen follows a British soldier named Eddie Halstead (James), who unexpectedly inherits his family’s estate after his father dies. What he doesn’t know is that the property is intertwined with Mickey Pearson’s cannabis empire, secretly tucked beneath the polished British aristocracy. “He realizes that the estate, this crumbling vestige of the British Empire, has been propped up by criminality,” James told Netflix’s Tudum.
Set in Ritchie’s trademark visual style, Eddie must navigate the world of dangerous and powerful players with nefarious agendas while safeguarding his home and life. Variety’s film critic Aramide Tinubu called it “a brilliant show about legacy, family and the thrills of self-discovery.”
James told the BBC at The Gentlemen’s premiere that the “fascinating conceit” attracted him. “The melding of the aristocracy and the underworld, and how those things collide in the bombastic way. Britain is so defined by class, and we love it and hate for various reasons, but defining it in the melee of this was really fascinating for me,” the Divergent actor said.
Meanwhile, Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) portrays Susie Glass, a drug dealing who manages the weed farm on the estate’s grounds. “I very rarely get to portray women that are already at the top of the game when you meet them,” the actress told the UK news site. “It’s always a young woman finding her way in life.” She continued, “But what I loved about Susie is she’s a boss, she’s good at her job, she can run things, she knows exactly what she’s doing.”
Joely Richardson, Peter Serafinowicz, Daniel Ings, and Giancarlo Esposito also star in the new comedy. Read on to learn how The Gentlemen is related to Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name.
Is Netflix’s The Gentlemen Connected To The 2019 Film?
The Horniman family in “The Gentlemen” on Netflix.
Netflix’s The Gentlemen is set in the same universe as the 2019 film also directed by Guy Ritchie. James confirmed to Netflix that “the world of this TV show is inspired by the movie, but the actual narrative is very different.”
The film version, which came out in 2019, stars Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Pearson, an American expat who becomes rich by building a profitable marijuana empire in London. When he wants to sell his business, it sets off a series of plots and schemes, including bribery and blackmail from gangsters and shady individuals who want a piece. Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant, Jeremy Strong, Michelle Dockery, and Charlie Hunnam also appear in the comedy-thriller film.
The Gentlemen took home $115 million worldwide at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo. Two years later, Miramax announced that there would be a spin-off TV series with Ritchie returning as an executive producer and co-writer. MovieWeb reported in November 2022 that the film gained popularity on Netflix, which led the streamer to greenlit a spin-off show.
None of the stars from the original movie returned for the Netflix series, and no prior knowledge of the film is required to watch it.
Ritchie explained to Netflix his reasons for wanting to build upon The Gentlemen universe. “I felt within The Gentlemen I could have at least have continued with another film,” he said. “I’ve got an inexhaustible creative reservoir of different ideas I’ve come up with in the past… The ability to be able to extend storylines has been tremendously liberating.”
How To Watch The Gentlemen TV Series
Kaya Scodelario as Susie Glass in “The Gentlemen” on Netflix.
All eight episodes of The Gentlemen premiered on Netflix on March 7, 2024. The series is an original Netflix title, so you’ll need a subscription to watch it. Netflix offers three plans: Standard with ads ($6.99/month), Standard ($15.49/month) and Premium ($22.99/month). Netflix currently doesn’t offer a free trial, but you can downgrade, upgrade, or cancel anytime.
Watch the trailer for The Gentlemen below.
First appeared on www.forbes.com