Gangs of London is one of the finest action thriller series of recent times, yet it flew under the radar in 2020. Gangs of London debuted on Sky Atlantic in the UK before arriving on AMC+ in fall 2020, and the ratings were high enough to warrant a season two renewal. Created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery of The Raid fame, Gangs of London centers on several London-based criminal organizations and their quest for power after the head of the city’s most powerful crime family is assassinated.
Gangs of London received rave reviews upon release, with particular praise for the brutal, squirm-inducing action sequences. And season two will be even more violent, promised director Corin Hardy (The Nun, The Hallow) in a recent interview with Empire Magazine.
"I love blood. Blood is such an important colour to use in the canvas of action. You get this immediate reaction when you see it. Some of this stuff, you plan it, you choreograph it, you storyboard it, pre-viz it, shoot it with stuntmen and actors, edit it, and by the time you’ve got your final sequence, only then do you see what you’ve made. And I sat back and watched it and thought, ‘I’ve gone too far this time."
Best known for his horror films, Hardy stepped into the action genre, believing he had a knack for it, and Gangs of London certainly proved so. Hardy directed multiple episodes in season one and took over as showrunner for season two after Evans and Flannery exited. And though Evans was largely responsible for the stunts and fight scenes in Gangs of London, his absence didn’t have any adverse effect on season two, Hardy revealed.
"It’s been a daunting and very exciting challenge, because Gareth is the best action filmmaker in the world, probably. But I have always loved action and genre, and wanted to put my stamp on it."
Gangs of London season 2 will feature in the August issue of Empire Magazine. Check out an exclusive image from the series below.
Gangs of London Season 2 Will Arrive This Fall
Gangs of London season 2 doesn’t have a release date yet but is confirmed to be released in the next few months. The show will arrive on AMC+ and Sky TV at the same time, with most of the cast members reprising their roles from season 1.
Gangs of London season 2 stars Sope Dirisu, Michelle Fairley, Brian Vernel, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Lucian Msamati, Paapa Essiedu, Valene Kane, Orli Shuka, Asif Raza, and Narges Rashidi, with newcomers Waleed Zuaiter, Salem Kali, Aymen Hamdouchi, and Fady El-Sayed. Unfortunately, Joe Cole will not return for Gangs of London season 2. Fans were expecting him to return since his character, Sean Wallace, died offscreen, but it appears the makers really broke that unspoken rule.
The plot synopsis for Gangs of London season 2 reads:
"One year after the death of Sean Wallace and the violent reckonings of series one, the map and soul of London has been redrawn. The surviving Wallaces are scattered, the Dumanis broken and estranged, and ex-undercover cop Elliot is now being forced to work for the investors. To restore order, the investors have aligned behind heroin baron Asif Afridi and together they have installed a new ruling force in London in the form of brutal gang leader - Koba. His vision for the criminal landscape is a dictatorship, a world in which old school gangster codes don’t exist and in which he holds a complete monopoly over London’s drug trade. But this monopoly can’t last forever. The gangs are fighting back - who will win the battle for London’s soul?"