The cast of The Gentlemen's sequel series in the works at Netflix is rounding out with some quality names. Per Variety, it has just been reported that Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul) has just boarded the cast of the series alongside previously-announced lead star Theo James. Other newcomers to the cast include Kaya Scodelario (Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City), Vinnie Jones (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells), Daniel Ings (I Hate Suzie), Joely Richardson (Lady Chatterley's Lover), and Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick).
The pilot series, also dubbed The Gentlemen, was co-written by the movie's writer-director Guy Ritchie alongside Matthew Read. Ritchie is also on board to direct the first two episodes and will serve as an executive producer with Ivan Atkinson, Marn Davies, and Bill Block, all of whom were producers on the original film. Marc Helwig is also executive producing for Miramax TV alongside Will Gould and Read for Moonage.
Netflix has confirmed that the series is set in the same universe as the feature film, but it will follow an all-new cast of characters. At this time, it is not yet clear if there will be any special appearances from original cast members, but there are some references to the movie. The Gentlemen series primarily follows Eddie Halstead (James), a man who has "inherited his father’s sizeable estate only to discover that it’s sitting on top of a weed empire owned by the legendary Mickey Pearson. Has this straight-up soldier got what it takes to master the dark arts of the British criminal underworld and take control of the entire operation?"
Released in 2019, The Gentlemen follows Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Pearson, a cannabis seller hoping to sell off his business which is easier said than done. The film also stars Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant. It was a hit at the box office and drew mostly positive reviews, and reports of a TV series spinoff happening date back to 2020. Though, it wasn't until this month when the series finally found its greenlight at Netflix.
Giancarlo Esposito Stays Busy After Better Call Saul
This casting comes months after Esposito wrapped up his long-running role as drug kingpin Gus Fring, appearing in the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul. It was a role he first began playing in the show's parent series, Breaking Bad, and Esposito has also teased that he wants Fring's story to continue with the character's own spinoff. While there are no plans at this time for that to happen, the network AMC is keeping him around with his casting as the lead in the upcoming series The Driver.
Esposito has also recently been seen in shows like The Boys and The Mandalorian. He also appeared in the movie Beauty and has roles in the upcoming films The Electric State and The Long Home. Esposito has also been campaigning for the role of Professor X in an X-Men reboot, something many of his fans want to see.