Ritchie survives Madonna for Star-Studded Comeback
Hollywood Today.net
June 25, 2007
by Courtney Lear
Stars are in alignment for a return to Guy Ritchie’s home genre
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 6/25/07 - Just when you thought Madonna had sucked all the life out of him, Guy Ritchie resurrects his signature street-smart dramatic style with a new film currently in the works.
“300” hero Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Idris Elba and rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges have been cast in the comeback caper “RocknRolla.”
The film is in line with his early films such as “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch.” It tells the story of a Russian mobster who orchestrates an underhanded land deal, putting millions of dollars up for grabs and attracting the worst of London’s criminal underworld, who all want in on the action. The players are a motley crew willing to backstab for a buck.
Butler stars as One Two, a wise guy with loose loyalties who has learned to play both sides. Wilkinson portrays, Lenny Cole, the lethal head of London’s old mob regime, which is quickly losing ground to the wealthier foreign mob.
Newton acts as One Two’s love interest, Stella, an accountant with ties to the underworld, and Elba plays Mumbles, One Two’s right-hand bloke. Ludacris appears as Roman, an American trying to break into the London music scene.
Ritchie wrote the screenplay and is directing the movie which began filming June 19. As with his other films, “RocknRolla” has a relatively low budget, just $20 million, but no bells and whistles means Ritchie will have to rely on his larger than life story to fill the screen. Remind us why we missed you Ritchie.
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