The Gentlemen (2020)
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Guy Ritchie's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- Before Matthew McConaughey was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- The incredible score for The Gentlemen was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
The Gentlemen is a 2020 British action comedy directed by Guy Ritchie, a return to the London gangster milieu that had launched his career. Matthew McConaughey stars as Mickey Pearson, an American expatriate who has built a vast marijuana empire across the English countryside by growing cannabis on the estates of cash-strapped aristocrats. When Mickey announces his retirement and attempts to sell the business, every criminal in London β including a scheming tabloid editor played by Hugh Grant, a Chinese gang boss, a volatile boxing coach played by Colin Farrell, and a calculating billionaire played by Jeremy Strong β makes a play for the empire.
The Gentlemen marked Guy Ritchie's triumphant return to form after a decade of studio blockbusters, bringing back the layered narrative structure, colorful criminal characters, and razor-sharp British dialogue that had defined Lock, Stock and Snatch. Hugh Grant, playing against type as a sleazy, manipulative investigator, gave the film's most entertaining performance. The Gentlemen earned $115 million worldwide on a $22 million budget.
