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Posts with tag RocknRolla

'RocknRolla' Will Be a Trilogy

According to the tabloid rags, Guy Ritchie has his hands full with his marriage to Madonna, but he's also been busy trying to reinvigorate his career. We've got RocknRolla on the way, the story of a Russian mobster doing shady land deals and attracting the attention of London's crime world, and it stars Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Ludacris, and Idris Elba. But before we even see if that helps rip him from the sinking world of Swept Away, Thandie tells MTV that the new film will be one of three.

The actress says: "RocknRolla is one of three films and Guy's keen to get going on that straight away." It will include Newton, who makes it through this first film, but she says many others have not, and that the sequel "will follow whoever's left." Apparently the shoot was swift, with only three weeks of pre-production, so Ritchie could get going on this at any time.

That being said, since this is a story where only some survive for the sequel, Ritchie might want to wait for 2 and 3 until after the first one premieres, to prevent potential spoilers and all. But maybe he just wants to get these in the bag before the verdict lands on the first. It could go either way, but since Tom Wilkinson has been on a hotter than hot roll lately, I'm hoping for good things. How about you?

Thandie Newton Talks About Joining the Boys on Guy Ritchie's 'RocknRolla'

With his first feature, Guy Ritchie made one heck of a name for himself amongst moviegoers itching for crime, action, and lots of testosterone. In the late '90s, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was the quintessential guy movie -- every man I knew raved about it with the passion usually saved for religious zealots. Many of those same moviegoers followed along with Snatch, but then slammed into the cinematic wall with his Swept Away. One might think this had something to do with Ritchie's attempt to have a female lead, and that he wouldn't dare enter those waters again. Nevertheless, he has with RocknRolla, which found its deal in May, and was cast in June.

If co-star Thandie Newton is to be believed, we shouldn't worry about her presence in the crime feature. She recently talked to MTV and said: "I was the only girl for miles around. I thought I'd have to struggle to be a woman in that scenario. [But] Guy was so open to me having ideas." Perhaps because of his inexperience writing ones that live up to the male characters he creates? Her character, Stella, is an "accountant who becomes more and more cooked as the story goes on. I think [Guy] was surprised at how dirty I played this character. I just kept pushing it and he loved it. He loves surprises." Maybe this will be the big breakthough for Ritchie -- female characters that don't have sap that dies on the big screen, but rather, sass that rivals his memorable male characters. What do you think? Will RocknRolla re-inspire the admiration of his old fanbase with a lead like Newton and much less romance?

The Cast is Set for Guy Ritchie's 'RocknRolla'

If I really scour my memory, I can vaguely remember the excitement that Guy Ritchie used to incite with his films. God, it has been seven years since I last went to the theater to see one of his movies -- Snatch. Yet no matter what cinematic pitfalls he has suffered since then, he's got one heck of a cast lined up for his next film -- RocknRolla. Variety has just announced the cast, which consists of Gerard Butler (300), Tom Wilkinson (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Thandie Newton (Crash), Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges (Hustle & Flow) and Idris Elba (The Reaping). (No, surprisingly, there's no Jason Statham anywhere to be seen.) Not only is this cast much better than Madonna, but it's pretty great in its own regard!

Erik Davis first posted about RocknRolla last month, when word hit that Ritchie was writing and directing another feature in the vein of his big successes -- Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. The film is about a Russian mobster who coordinates "a crooked land deal, putting millions of dollars up for grabs and attracting all of London's criminal underworld." If this cast is the collection of criminals, this is looking to be a group reminiscent of the pirate kings in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean, but with much more recognizable faces. The budget on this puppy is under $20 million, it has already started production and will be done in his classic "fast-paced, low-budget style." Now, will it sweep away that really bad offering and get him back on track as the guru of bad arses, or will Dark Castle Entertainment and Warner Bros. have a stinker on their hands?

Guy Ritchie Will Direct 'RocknRolla'

Although he already staged one triumphant return after shelling out that abysmal love letter to his wife (the only thing swept away in, well, Swept Away was the career of its director), Guy Ritchie is attempting to make another comeback; this time, he's going to stick to what made him famous in the first place. The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Ritchie will direct RocknRolla for Joel Silver's Dark Castle Entertainment. And, contrary to what you might think based on that title, it will not be some '70s-style rollerskating-themed musical comedy. Oh no, this pic is said to be in the same vein as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. So, basically, they'll be a bunch of British gangsters fighting over a missing bag of drugs while singing show tunes on roller skates. I dig it!

Ritchie, who also penned the script, plans to begin shooting the film this summer. With casting currently underway, me wonders whether Ritchie is still hot enough to land some big-name talent. Right off the bat, I think it's pretty safe to assume Jason Statham will make an appearance, as he's starred in three of Ritchie's four films. Apart from him, this puppy is way up in the air. If he's reaching into a hot British talent pool, perhaps we'll see Daniel Craig or Simon Pegg show up. Or how about Clive Owen? The dude starred in that Ritchie-directed BMW short film; maybe he'll be down for a little smash and grab action? However, the fact that Dark Castle Entertainment is producing doesn't exactly sit right with me. Should I even go near the last seven films they churned out? Let's see, amongst that lot we have gems like Return to House on Haunted Hill, The Reaping, House of Wax and Ghost Ship. Now I know why it's called Dark Castle -- that's the place Joel Silver dumps all the crappy films no one wants to go near.

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