Ritchie, who received an Emmy nomination for his directing in the first season, will return to direct. He will once again co-write with Matthew Read.
The Gentlemen was an instant hit when it was released on Netflix in March. It spent 10 weeks in the Top 10 for English-language series, with the first three at #1.
Talks about another season began immediately, with James closing a deal to return in June. In April, he explained why a renewal of the series wasn’t a given.
“It wasn’t genuinely discussed,” he said of a potential second season. “I think it would be a wrangling process with all of us and Guy. But also, I think with a show like this, if you’re going to do more, you need to come up with a really interesting concept for Season 2. Because as much as we enjoyed it and as fun as it was, it needs narrative drive.”
Set in the world of Ritchie’s 2019 Miramax film of the same name, the first season of the series centers on Eddie Horniman (James) who unexpectedly inherits his father’s large estate — only to discover it’s part of a cannabis empire. What’s more, a host of shady characters from Britain’s criminal underworld are looking to cash in on the operation.
Determined to free his family from their clutches, Eddie tries to play the gangsters at their own game. But as he’s drawn into the world of crime, he starts to get a taste for it, with an unexpected ally in the refined but ruthless Susie Glass (Scodelario).
UK-based Moonage Pictures is producing for Netflix and Miramax Television, with Ritchie; Will Gould, Read and Frith Tiplady for Moonage Pictures; Helwig for Miramax Television. Ivan Atkinson is also producing.
Speaking at the launch of the first season, Helwig suggested that if successful, The Gentlemen series could “spawn some kind of a universe, a Guy Ritchie world,” which could potentially lead to another film.
Filming for season two begins next year.
