Guy Ritchie's 'Boardwalk Empire Meets Downton Abbey' Series Can Officially Last Forever

Credit: Matt Towers/Netflix Published Sep 5, 2026, 2:45 PM EDT El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Guy Ritchie's recently returned crime drama series can officially last forever. Ritchie's small-screen streaming journey has been an incredible success so far. Shows like Prime Video's Young Sherlock and Paramount's MobLand have allowed the iconic British director to experiment with different storytelling formats while maintaining his trademark style and characterization. Young Sherlock has been renewed for a second season, and MobLand will also return for season 3. And yet, the show with the most long-term and franchise potential is undoubtedly Netflix's The Gentlemen, inspired by Ritchie's 2019 film of the same name. The series, which returned for season 2 earlier this week, is one of Netflix's biggest success stories, scoring an early season 3 renewal before the new season's premiere and immediately cementing its place high in Netflix's global Top 10 TV list. Starring Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Ray Winstone, and Vinnie Jones, The Gentlemen is the perfect, unlikely blend of Boardwalk Empire's criminal enterprise — in this case, cannabis rather than prohibition-era alcohol — as run by a publicly powerful and (seemingly) wealthy figure, and Downton Abbey's high society-centric storytelling, chronicling the continued economic downfall of Britain's aristocratic elite. In the show, the Duke of Halstead, Eddie Horniman (James), inherits his family's crumbling estate, including its successful underground weed farm. Forced to team up with the Glass crime family to save his brother and his ancestral legacy, the Duke gives in to his darkest, increasingly violent instincts as he embraces his newfound role. In the second season, Eddie's ruthless ambition threatens to destroy everything he holds dear, including his partnership with Scodelario's Susie and his family. Though The Gentlemen's season 3 renewal is exciting news, it's all too easy to imagine how the show and its core concept might evolve next. Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen Can Last Forever With Eddie Leading The Show Christopher Raphael/Netflix The Gentlemen season 2 shifts its focus. Where season 1 was primarily concerned with Eddie and Susie's refreshingly original partnership and their attempts to keep the family business profitable — with a little advice from Susie's luxuriously imprisoned father, Bobby (Winstone) — season 2 is Eddie's story more than Susie's. While James and Scodelario have incredible chemistry, Eddie is the glue that holds the somewhat ludicrous but highly entertaining premise together. It's his ambition that drives the story forward, his desire and greed that influence and impact the lives of everyone around him. British Underworld · Aristocracy · Cannabis How Well Do You Know The Gentlemen? “If you wish to be the king of the jungle, it’s not enough to act like a king. You must be the king.” 🏰TheEstateOld money, new crimes 💰Under­worldThe jungle has rules 🌿Canna­bisThe green gold 🎬GuyRitchieStyle and swagger ♕Aristo­cracyStiff upper lip ENTER THE ESTATE → 01 In the Netflix series, a young aristocrat inherits his family’s country estate — only to discover it sits atop a massive underground cannabis operation. Which actor plays Eddie Halstead, the reluctant new lord of the manor? ACharlie Hunnam BTheo James CHenry Golding DTom Hardy ✓ Correct! Theo James plays Eddie Halstead, a former army officer who inherits his father’s title and estate. His posh exterior hides a tactical mind that proves surprisingly useful when dealing with the criminal underworld operating beneath his property. ✗ Wrong manor! The answer is Theo James. Known for the Divergent series and The White Lotus Season 2, James brings effortless charm and dry wit to the role of a blue-blooded aristocrat dragged into the drug trade against his will. NEXT → 02 The Gentlemen series is created, written, and directed by the filmmaker who also made the 2019 film of the same name. Who is this British filmmaker famous for his signature blend of crime, comedy, and style? AMatthew Vaughn BEdgar Wright CGuy Ritchie DMartin McDonagh ✓ Correct! Guy Ritchie created the series as an expansion of his 2019 film The Gentlemen. While the show features entirely new characters and a different story, it shares the film’s DNA — the same irreverent tone, British crime world setting, and Ritchie’s trademark kinetic style. ✗ Wrong manor! The answer is Guy Ritchie. The Lock, Stock and Snatch director has been defining British crime comedy for decades. Matthew Vaughn is his former producing partner (Kingsman), Edgar Wright directed Baby Driver, and Martin McDonagh made In Bruges. But The Gentlemen is pure Ritchie. NEXT → 03 Eddie discovers that the criminal operation hidden on his estate involves the large-scale cultivation of what, which is being grown in vast underground facilities beneath the English countryside? ACannabis BCocaine CCounterfeit currency DWeapons ✓ Correct! The estate sits atop a massive cannabis cultivation operation, with sophisticated underground growing facilities hidden beneath the property. The juxtaposition of genteel English aristocracy above ground and a drug empire below is central to the show’s comedy and its exploration of British class hypocrisy. ✗ Wrong manor! The answer is cannabis. The show’s central conceit is that the English landed gentry have been unwittingly (or sometimes knowingly) hosting cannabis farms beneath their sprawling estates. It’s a distinctly Ritchie twist on the clash between old-money respectability and new-money criminality. NEXT → 04 Kaya Scodelario plays Susie Glass, the sharp and fearless daughter of a notorious crime lord who runs the cannabis operation. What is her father’s name — the unseen but ever-present kingpin known as “The Dragon”? ATommy Glass BRonnie Glass CFreddie Glass DBobby Glass ✓ Correct! Bobby Glass — known as “The Dragon” — is the feared crime boss and Susie’s father. Though largely operating from prison, his shadow looms over every deal and power play. Susie serves as his proxy, proving to be just as formidable and cunning as her old man. ✗ Wrong manor! The answer is Bobby Glass. The feared crime lord known as “The Dragon” is Susie’s father, and his influence permeates every corner of the criminal underworld in the series even though he’s largely off-screen. Susie runs his empire with an iron fist in his absence. NEXT → 05 The 2019 film The Gentlemen starred Matthew McConaughey as an American expat marijuana kingpin in London. Which actor played his loyal right-hand man, Raymond Smith? AJason Statham BCharlie Hunnam CIdris Elba DGerard Butler ✓ Correct! Charlie Hunnam played Raymond Smith, the methodical and impeccably dressed fixer who keeps McConaughey’s Mickey Pearson’s empire running smoothly. The film’s star-studded cast also included Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, and Henry Golding. ✗ Wrong manor! The answer is Charlie Hunnam. The Sons of Anarchy star brought quiet menace to the role of Raymond Smith. The film’s ensemble was stacked — Hugh Grant played a sleazy private investigator, Colin Farrell was a hilariously unhinged boxing coach, and Henry Golding was a rival gangster. NEXT → 06 Much of Eddie’s trouble in the series stems from his reckless younger brother, whose gambling debts and bad decisions constantly threaten to expose and destroy everything. What is the brother’s name? AHenry Halstead BGeoff Halstead CFreddy Halstead DCharlie Halstead ✓ Correct! Freddy Halstead is Eddie’s chaotic younger brother, whose reckless lifestyle and mounting debts create a chain reaction of problems that pull Eddie deeper into the criminal world. Their sibling dynamic — the responsible soldier and the dissolute wastrel — is one of the show’s most compelling relationships. ✗ Wrong manor! The answer is Freddy Halstead. Eddie’s wayward younger brother is the catalyst for much of the series’ chaos. His gambling debts, poor judgment, and inability to stay out of trouble force Eddie to get his hands dirty in ways he never intended. NEXT → 07 The Gentlemen series premiered in March 2024 and quickly became one of the most-watched shows on its platform. Which streaming service is the exclusive home of the series? ANetflix BAmazon Prime Video CApple TV+ DDisney+ ✓ Correct! The Gentlemen is a Netflix original series. It debuted in March 2024 and immediately shot to the top of the platform’s most-watched charts worldwide. Its success led to a quick Season 2 renewal, confirming that Ritchie’s brand of British crime comedy translates perfectly to the streaming era. ✗ Wrong manor! The answer is Netflix. The Gentlemen became a massive global hit on the platform, reaching the top 10 in dozens of countries within its first week. Guy Ritchie’s kinetic style and the show’s binge-worthy eight-episode format proved to be a perfect match for Netflix’s audience. NEXT → 08 Guy Ritchie launched his career with two iconic British crime comedies in the late 1990s and early 2000s that defined the genre. “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” was the first. What was the second? ALayer Cake BRocknRolla CRevolver DSnatch ✓ Correct! Snatch (2000) cemented Ritchie’s signature style — fast-paced editing, overlapping storylines, colourful criminal characters, and razor-sharp dialogue. Starring Brad Pitt as an incomprehensible bare-knuckle boxing traveller, it became a cult classic and the blueprint for everything Ritchie has done since, including The Gentlemen. ✗ Wrong manor! The answer is Snatch. While Layer Cake (2004) is a great British crime film, it was directed by Matthew Vaughn, not Ritchie. RocknRolla came in 2008 and Revolver in 2005. Snatch (2000) — with Brad Pitt, Jason Statham, and Benicio del Toro — was Ritchie’s definitive follow-up to Lock, Stock. REVEAL MY SCORE → The Deal Is Done · Ledger Closed Your Estate Report ♕ / 8 Lord of the manor — or just the hired help? ↻ RETURN TO THE ESTATE So long as Eddie survives (and so long as Theo James is willing to return to the role), The Gentlemen could last for years, following His Grace as he transitions from an unwitting pawn to a full-fledged partner, to a drug kingpin in his own right. He's certainly got the brains, the brawn, and the viciousness for it, especially after season 2's gruesome final episode. Eddie and his older brother, Freddy (Daniel Ings), will never be the same again. Netflix's The Gentlemen Could Spawn An Entire Franchise Credit: Matt Towers/Netflix The Gentlemen season 2 doesn't just expand Eddie's ambition. It also expands the Glass family's drug operation. Weed farms are no longer located only beneath historical estates and manor houses in the English countryside. Half of the new season also takes place in Italy, with new growth centers built beneath the country's most expensive and stunning palazzos. Should Guy Ritchie decide Eddie's story does come to an end after season 3, there are two ways The Gentlemen's concept could live on. Either Ritchie creates a new aristocratic British family desperate enough to get mixed up in a criminal enterprise — there are hundreds of similar estates in the UK — or Netflix, perhaps in co-operation with Ritchie and other international directors, could replicate the idea in countries besides England and Italy. What about the beautiful châteaus in France? The castles of Germany or Belgium? Somewhere in the US? Scripted international remakes and adaptations are becoming more common; think of the Spanish-language series Money Heist, which spawned a South Korean adaptation on Netflix, or the BBC's paranormal sitcom Ghosts, which has been adapted in six other countries. If The Gentlemen can produce a movie and a show with a new cast and story while maintaining a similar aesthetic and atmosphere, it can easily be done again (and again, and again). All episodes of The Gentlemen season 2 are available to stream now, only on Netflix. Release Date 2024 - 2026-00-00 Network Netflix Directors David Caffrey, Guy Ritchie, Eran Creevy, Nima Nourizadeh Cast Kaya Scodelario Susie Glass Theo James Eddie Horniman Writers Stuart Carolan, Guy Ritchie, Matthew Read, Billy Mason Wood, Haleema Mirza Creator(s) Guy Ritchie, Matthew Read