Both the 2020 film and the new series have come from the mind of Guy Ritchie.
New Netflix series The Gentlemen is now available to stream, and is already being devoured by Guy Ritchie fans, who have been waiting a long time for it.
The show comes more than four years after the release of Ritchie’s film The Gentlemen, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant amongst others, and told a story which has some striking similarities with the new show.
However, are the stories of the 2020 film and the new series actually connected, and do they share any cast members or characters?
Read on for everything you need to know about how Guy Ritchie’s 2020 film and the new series are connected?
How is The Gentlemen connected to the film of the same name?
According to Ritchie, the new series The Gentlemen is set in the same world as the film.
He told Netflix Tudum: “We’re looking forward to bringing fans back into that world, introducing new characters and their stories, and I am excited to be doing it with this extremely talented cast.”
It also tells a story which is similar in some ways to that told in the film. The film focused on a cannabis baron who was growing his product under the estates of aristocrats, all of whom needed cash for the upkeep of their stately homes. The series, meanwhile, follows one of those aristocrats, whose land is being used by a different cannabis baron in the same way.
However, that is as far as the connections go. The characters are all different and the story the series tells differs to the one told in the film. They share themes and a similar central set-up, but that is it.
Meanwhile Daniel Ings, who plays Freddie Horniman in the series, spoke with RadioTimes.com exclusively, and explained how he would describe the connection between the show and the film.
He said: “I would say that it kind of shares the DNA of the movie. It takes that idea of gangsters getting into bed with, going into business with the rich aristocracy, who have these huge empires and all this land, but really no cash, no disposable cash, so they’re leasing the land.
“And I think it takes that idea from the movie and expands on it and goes, ‘Well, who are these people that have these crumbling empires and who are clinging on to the past, but need these gangsters, need these modern criminals in order to stay afloat?’
“So, it’s obviously a key part of the film, but the series I think takes that element of it and grows it like a fine weed farm.”
Meanwhile, Max Beesley, who plays Henry Collins in the show, added: “The only similar nuance is the drug, really… the marijuana. I think it’s a different beast, but there are the same nuances in there.
“There is comedy, there’s action, there’s drama in there, but we’ve got new characters introduced, new actors introduced, who all in their own right are terrific, strong, strong performers.
“And so, for fans of the film, they’re getting a double bubble, really, but they’re getting eight episodes, which is terrific.”
Do any of the stars of The Gentlemen film appear in the series?
They don’t. While some fans may have been hoping for a cameo from Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey or Michelle Dockery as Rosalind, neither appear, and nor do any of the film’s other stars or characters.
The show is instead a complete clean slate, starring the likes of Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Vinnie Jones, Ray Winstone, Max Beesley and Giancarlo Esposito.
The Gentlemen is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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