Guy Ritchie | |
|---|---|
 Ritchie in 2017 | |
| Born | (1968-09-10)10 September 1968 (age 57) Hatfield, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5 |
Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968)[1][2] is an English film director, producer and screenwriter known primarily for British comedygangster films and large-scale action-adventure films.
Ritchie left school at the age of 15, and worked in entry-level jobs in the film industry before going on to direct television commercials. In 1995, he directed a short film,The Hard Case, followed by the crime comedyLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), his feature-lengthdirectorial debut. He gained recognition with his second film,Snatch (2000), which found critical and commercial success. FollowingSnatch, Ritchie directedSwept Away (2002), a critically pannedbox-office bomb starringMadonna, to whom Ritchie was married between 2000 and 2008. He went on to directRevolver (2005) andRocknRolla (2008), which were less successful and received mixed reviews. In 2009 and 2011, he directed the box-office hitsSherlock Holmes and its sequel,Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows starringRobert Downey Jr. as the title character. The former was nominated forAcademy Awards inBest Original Score andBest Art Direction.
His other directed films includeThe Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), based on the1960s television series,King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017),[3] andAladdin (2019),Disney's live-action adaptation of their1992 animated film, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide, becoming one of thehighest-grossing films in 2019 and the highest-grossing film of Ritchie's career. In 2019, he returned to crime comedy withThe Gentlemen (2019), which was mostly well received and a commercial success. He subsequently reteamed withJason Statham on the action filmsWrath of Man (2021) andOperation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023). His second film of 2023,The Covenant, received generally positive reviews.[4]
Ritchie was born inHatfield, Hertfordshire,[2] the second of two children of Amber (née Parkinson) and Captain John Vivian Ritchie formerSeaforth Highlanders officer and advertising executive. He has an elder sister, and a half-brother who was born to Amber Parkinson and placed for adoption.[5]
Both of Ritchie's parents remarried. His father's second marriage was toShireen Ritchie, Baroness Ritchie of Brompton, a former model and laterConservative politician andlife peer.[6] Between 1973 and 1980, Ritchie's mother was married toSir Michael Leighton, 11th Baronet ofLoton Park.[7] As a divorcée, she is styled as Amber, Lady Leighton.[8]
Ritchie isdyslexic, and attendedWindlesham House School inWest Sussex andStanbridge Earls School inHampshire. He was expelled from school at the age of 15.[2] He has claimed that drug use was the reason for expulsion, although Ritchie's father said he was "cutting class and entertaining a girl in his room".[9]
After working on a short film,The Hard Case (1995), in 1998, Ritchie metMatthew Vaughn, who had been working in Los Angeles and expressed interest in producing Ritchie's directorial debut,Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). It took 15 months to secure financial backing.[10][11]Trudie Styler served as an executive producer—she said "I've always liked bad-boy movies".[12]
There's a perennial pub debate that poses the question: Which is better,Snatch orLock Stock?Snatch apologists talk a good game, but the correct answer is, of course, Guy Ritchie's jaw-dropping debut. After all, this is a movie that brought the world 'The Stath',Vinnie Jones hammering someone's skull with a car door, and the knowledge that a big purple dildo can be used as an offensive weapon.
The production of comedyheist filmLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was completed in about eight months. StarringNick Moran,Jason Statham,Jason Flemyng andDexter Fletcher, the film exposed them to worldwide audiences, and launched the acting career of former footballerVinnie Jones. It was released in the United Kingdom on 28 August 1998 to critical and commercial success, withJanet Maslin ofThe New York Times praising Ritchie's "brash, ebullient direction" and "punchy little flourishes that load this English gangster film".[14] The feature earned $28.1 million at the worldwide box office.[15] At the 1999British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs),Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was nominated for three awards:Outstanding British Film,Best Editing andOutstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Vaughn. The film won a BAFTA for Film of the Year.[16] In response to the film's success, Ritchie created a spin-off television series calledLock, Stock.... in 2000.[17]
Ritchie's next film wasSnatch (2000), another crime-comedy about a group of criminals searching for a stolen diamond which starred an ensemble cast includingBenicio del Toro,Dennis Farina, Flemyng, Jones,Brad Pitt,Rade Šerbedžija and Statham. Similar toLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the film depicted events from different characters' perspectives; anarrative device which he would use in later films.Snatch was released on 23 August 2000 to a commercial success at the box office, grossing more than $83 million worldwide.[18]Mick LaSalle, writing forSan Francisco Chronicle, was impressed with Ritchie's directing and "sequences that discharge with energy", but felt the writing could have been better.[19] Film criticRoger Ebert describes Ritchie as a "zany, high-energy director" but felt the film's plot "doesn't build and it doesn't arrive anywhere".[20]
In 2001, Ritchie directed a music video for "What It Feels Like for a Girl", a song performed byMadonna, to whom Ritchie was married at the time. In the video, she commits criminal and violent acts towards men; music channelsMTV andVH1 banned the video from their rotation, opting to play it only once on the release date.[21] Ritchie directed a short film starring Madonna andClive Owen, titledStar for season one ofThe Hire, a 2001 online series to promoteBMW automobiles.[22] Ritchie's next film, starring Madonna andAdriano Giannini, wasSwept Away (2002), a remake ofLina Wertmüller's 1974 Italian film of thesame name. It is a romantic comedy about a wealthy socialite who is shipwrecked on a deserted island with a Communist sailor. The film was a critical and commercial failure, with an average rating of 5% on filmreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes.[23][24] Almar Haflidason of theBBC was critical of the lead actors, writing, "[Madonna] has neither good comedic sense nor any warmth [...] as for Giannini, he spends the first half of the movie endlessly complaining like some old fishwife".[25] The feature won five awards at the2002 Golden Raspberry Awards forWorst Picture,Worst Actress,Worst Screen Couple,Worst Remake or Sequel andWorst Director.[26][27]
In 2002, Ritchie conceived a prank show titledSwag, forChannel 5 in the United Kingdom.[28]
Ritchie's next heist filmRevolver (2005) starred Statham,Ray Liotta,Vincent Pastore, andAndré Benjamin. The story is about gambler Jake Green (Statham) who is released from prison and seeks revenge on those who stole his money. Filming was completed in late 2004 and the film premiered at the 2005Toronto International Film Festival.[29]Revolver was released in the United Kingdom on 22 September 2005, but it was critically panned and a commercial failure. Simon Guerrier ofFilmFocus gave it one out of five stars, calling it, "tedious, humourless, pretentious and nasty".[30]Adrian Hennigan from the BBC wrote, "the cheeky charm has been replaced by plodding pretentiousness in a film that's illuminated by great action set-pieces and some powerful performances, but not redeemed".[31] Ritchie responded to the criticism by stating, "I don't think anything went wrong withRevolver. By its very nature it's an esoteric movie. It's not designed for the masses".[32] The film was budgeted at $27 million but earned $7.1 million at the worldwide box office.[33] In 2007,Revolver was re-edited and released for the United States.[34]
In 2008, Ritchie directedRocknRolla, for which he also wrote the screenplay. It starsGerard Butler,Tom Wilkinson,Thandie Newton,Mark Strong,Idris Elba,Tom Hardy, andToby Kebbell.RocknRolla was released on 5 September 2008 in the United Kingdom, reaching number one at the UK box office in its first week of release.[35] Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 60% rating, stating, "Mixed reviews for Guy Ritchie's return to his London-based cockney wideboy gangster movie roots, but most agree, it's a step in the right direction following two major turkeys".[36] In that same year, Ritchie directed a television commercial forNike called "Take It To The Next Level". The commercial includes appearances fromCristiano Ronaldo,Cesc Fàbregas,Ronaldinho,Wayne Rooney, andRuud van Nistelrooy.[37]
Ritchie's next directorial effort wasSherlock Holmes (2009), starringRobert Downey Jr. andJude Law. The film was released on 25 and 26 December 2009 in the United States and United Kingdom. It was a box-office hit, taking more than $520 million worldwide, and garnered mixed to favourable reviews from critics and general viewers.[38][39] It received multiple accolades, including twoAcademy Award nominations forBest Original Score andBest Art Direction, and Downey won aGolden Globe Award for Best Actor.[40][41] In 2011, Ritchie directed the sequelSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. It was released on 16 December and was an even greater commercial success, grossing more than $545 million worldwide.[42]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times criticized Ritchie for "taking liberties" with the characters, and wrote that both films depict "a smoky, overcast Victorian world, infuses it with an air of jocular, hairy laddishness and stages a lot of fights in fussy and tiresome slow motion".[43]
In 2012, Ritchie produced a trailer for the video gameCall of Duty: Black Ops II.[44] In 2013, he directed a commercial forH&M featuringDavid Beckham.[45] A year later, he directed a commercial for whisky brandHaig, which also stars Beckham.[46] He made a return to film in 2015 withThe Man From U.N.C.L.E., a remake of the1960s spy series. Ritchie andLionel Wigram wrote the screenplay about aCIA agent and aKGB agent who work together to stop a criminal organisation from constructing a nuclear weapon.Henry Cavill andArmie Hammer played the lead roles. Principal photography commenced in 2013 in London and Italy,[47][48] with rewrites to the script during filming.[49] It was released on 14 August 2015 byWarner Bros. to a mixed critical reception.[50]Glenn Kenny onRogerEbert.com writes that it "is only intermittently engaging and amusing, and those portions of the movie that succeed are also frustrating." However, he praisedHugh Grant's performance which "saves the movie".[51]
In January 2014, Warner Bros. hired Ritchie to direct the first of six films in a franchise, fantasy adventureKing Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) withCharlie Hunnam portrayingKing Arthur.[52][53] The feature was released in 2D and3D on 12 May 2017 in the United States, and a week later in the United Kingdom. Despite high expectations from the studio, it received mixed reviews and was a box-office failure, causing large financial losses for Warner Bros. andVillage Roadshow Pictures, and leading to the cancellation of the subsequent sequels.[54][55][56][57]
In August 2017, Ritchie received theRaindance Auteur Award for his contributions to theBritish film industry.[58] Next, Ritchie directedDisney'slive-action adaptation ofAladdin (2019), based on the 1992 animated film of thesame name.[59] The plot followsAladdin, a street urchin, as he falls in love withPrincess Jasmine, befriends aGenie, and battles the wickedJafar. Released on 24 May 2019 in the United States, the film was a commercial success despite mixed reviews;[60]Aladdin earned more than $1 billion worldwide, becoming one of thehighest-grossing films in 2019, and the 34thhighest-grossing film of all-time during its theatrical run.[61] Writing for theChicago Sun-Times,Richard Roeper gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, praisingWill Smith,Naomi Scott, andMena Massoud's performances.[62] OnMetacritic,Aladdin has aweighted average score of 53 out of 100 based on 50 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews",[63] and on Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 57% based on 372 reviews with an average rating of 5.88/10.[64]
In 2020, Ritchie returned to crime comedy withThe Gentlemen. The story is about an American expat who tries to sell his marijuana business, which triggers a chain reaction response from various criminals. Released on 1 January in the United Kingdom, and a few weeks later in other countries, the film was generally well received. Anton Bitel ofSight & Sound wrote that it "returns to the sense and sensibilities of his earliest features".[65] Film criticJames Berardinelli gave the film3+1⁄2 out of four stars, writing, "The Gentlemen takes Ritchie back to his roots" although "the screenplay is too clever by half, with some of the quirkiness being awkward and intrusive."[66] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film gained an approval rating of 74% based on 260 reviews,[67] and earned $115 million worldwide.[68] In October 2020, it was announced that Ritchie was developing aspin-off television series, which was eventually acquired byNetflix; the series was released on Netflix on 7 March 2024.[69][70]
Ritchie next directed the action thrillerWrath of Man, a remake of the 2004 filmCash Truck, reuniting with Statham. It was released in the United States on 7 May 2021.[71][72][73] It was initially set for theatrical release in the United Kingdom byLionsgate UK, but was instead released straight to streaming onAmazon Prime Video on 10 December 2021.[74]
Ritchie followed upWrath of Man with the spy thrillerOperation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, again starring Statham.[75][76] It was scheduled for release in cinemas on 18 March 2022, but was pulled from the schedule a month prior without an explanation; it was eventually released in the United States on 3 March 2023, byLionsgate.[77][78] Ritchie next filmed the war dramaThe Covenant, starringJake Gyllenhaal,Dar Salim,Antony Starr andEmily Beecham, in February 2022 inAlicante,Spain.[79][80] The film was released in the United States on 21 April 2023.[81] In June 2022, it was announced that Ritchie had signed on to direct a live-action film adaptation of Disney'sHercules.[82]
In February 2021, Ritchie agreed to direct and write theWorld War II filmThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, based on the book byDamien Lewis, for producerJerry Bruckheimer andParamount Pictures.[83] In October 2022,Henry Cavill andEiza González were cast in the lead roles, with Paramount no longer involved.[84] The film was released in theatres in the United States on 19 April 2024 byLionsgate.[85]
In May 2023, weeks after production wrapped onThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, it was announced Ritchie would next direct the filmIn the Grey (untitled at the time), starring Cavill, Gyllenhaal and González, set to shoot in Spain in the summer of 2023.[86] It concluded production in October 2023, withLionsgate acquiring domestic distribution rights andBlack Bear UK releasing in the United Kingdom.[87] The film was set to be released in theatres in the United States on 17 January 2025, but was pulled from the release schedule in November 2024 as post-production was not yet finished.[88][89]
On 6 July 2023, it was announced Ritchie would executive produce the ESPN documentary seriesGracie, to be directed byChris Fuller.[90][91]
On 11 January 2024, it was announced Ritchie would direct the action adventure filmFountain of Youth, forSkydance Media andApple Studios, withNatalie Portman,John Krasinski andDomhnall Gleeson set to star and production began in February 2024.[92][93][94][95] The film was released onApple TV+ on 23 May 2025.[96]
On 28 February 2024, it was announced that Ritchie would serve as director and executive producer alongsideTop Boy creatorRonan Bennett on theRay Donovan spin-off seriesThe Donovans for the streaming serviceParamount+.[97][98][99] By October 9, the project had been retitledThe Associates and had been reworked into a standalone series, withTom Hardy,Helen Mirren, andPierce Brosnan in final negotiations to star in the project, now calledMobLand.[100][101] On 13 May, it was announced Ritchie would write and direct the filmWife & Dog; in November, it was announced the project would starBenedict Cumberbatch,Rosamund Pike, andAnthony Hopkins, with production expected to begin in February 2025.[102][103]
On 29 May 2024, it was announced that Ritchie would serve as executive producer and director on theAmazon Prime Video television seriesYoung Sherlock, based on theYoung Sherlock Holmes series ofyoung adult novels byAndy Lane.[104] On April 30, 2025, it was announced Ritchie would reunite with Gyllenhaal to direct the sequel toRoad House, withWill Beall writing the screenplay; however, in July Ritchie exited the film.[105][106]
Ritchie has citedQuentin Tarantino andSergio Leone as influences on his work. However, he has stated "just about every film — any good film — that's ever been made has had an influence on me. But then how much of it, I have no idea".[107] He has complimented several films includingThe Long Good Friday (1980),The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966),Seven Samurai (1954) andOnce Upon a Time in the West (1968).[107] When asked about the influence of criminalsRonald and Reginald Kray, Ritchie states "It's inevitable ... everything, more or less, of the old-school villainy related back to the Krays at some point. And the Krays were a lot worse than everyone thinks they are. ... And I know what those boys were doing was a hundred times worse than what everyone thought was going on. So it's inevitable that anything that is genuine, and old, and British will somehow have something to do with the Krays".[107]
Ritchie's films often incorporate memorable and "colourful" characters, for instance, Irishboxer Mickey O'Neil inSnatch, and crime boss "Hatchet" Harry inLock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. In his crime films, there is also fragmented dialogue, with many characters behaving menacingly and usingcockney slang.[108][109] The portrayal of theBritish class system has also been explored.[110] Costume designer forThe Gentlemen,Michael Wilkinson, said "Each character has an iconic, memorable look — a little larger than life".[108]
Fast-paced and energetic action scenes serve ascinematic choices, as well as placing his characters in combat or violent situations.[111] Ritchie has used fast-cutting and slow motion to build momentum in the story, and to create a high-impact viewing experience, respectively. He is also known to use interweaving stories and anon-linear narrative such as a circular plot in his films; this is found in the case ofLock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels,Sherlock Holmes andSnatch.[109][112]
Ritchie has said this on his creative process:
My creative process has never been something I can put into words. It's very random, very scattered and can sometimes lead down dark alleyways and dead ends. What I will say is I think any director needs to immerse himself in both real life and in history to fully open up creative processes. And you must be prepared for the reality that any creative process worth its salt needs to be revised, reworked and, on occasion, thrown out the window entirely.[113]
Ritchie has worked multiple times withVinnie Jones,Jason Statham,Jason Flemyng,Alan Ford,Geoff Bell,Mark Strong,Jude Law,Eddie Marsan,Jared Harris,Charlie Hunnam,Josh Hartnett,Hugh Grant,Jake Gyllenhaal,Eiza González,Henry Golding,Cary Elwes,Bugzy Malone andHenry Cavill.
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Ritchie started training inShotokan karate at age seven at theBudokwai in London, where he later achieved a black belt in both Shotokan andJudo.[114] He also has a black belt inBrazilian jiu-jitsu underRenzo Gracie.[115]
Ritchie says that he can speak Hebrew.[116]
On 18 May 2000, Ritchie was arrested by police for allegedly assaulting a man outside theKensington home that he shared with American singer-songwriterMadonna.[117] On 22 December 2000, he married Madonna atSkibo Castle in Scotland.[118] They had a son Rocco, born in 2000, and adopted a Malawian baby, David Banda, in 2006.[119]
Madonna filed for divorce in October 2008, citing irreconcilable differences.[120] On 15 December 2008, Madonna announced that she had agreed to a divorce settlement with Ritchie, the terms of which granted him £50–60 million, which includes the value of the couple'sLondon pub andWiltshire estate. The couple issued a joint statement calling settlement reports "misleading and inaccurate".[121] At the Central Family Court inHolborn, district judge Caroline Reid pronounced thedecree nisi, which dissolved the marriage within six weeks.[122] Madonna and Ritchie reached a custody agreement for their children.[123][124]
In February 2011, his London home was briefly occupied by members of theReally Free School, a squatter organisation.[125][126]
In 2010, Ritchie met English model Jacqui Ainsley. They married on 30 July 2015.[127] The couple have three children.[2][127][128]
In July 2020, Ritchie received a six-month driving ban after he was caught byCyclingMikey using a mobile device while operating a motor vehicle.[129]
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Ritchie owns a pub,The Lore of the Land, in London, and previously co-owned another,The Walmer Castle withDavid Beckham until 2022 when it was taken over by Piers Adams, a French entrepreneur.[131] Ritchie owns a small brewing company, Gritchie Brewing Company which brews beer on hisAshcombe Estate in Wiltshire.[132] He also owns The Wild Kitchen, a firm producing outdoor cooking equipment and tents, which launched atChelsea Flower Show in 2021.[133]
In October 2022 it was announced thatCompton Abbas Airfield was being sold to Ritchie, who owns the neighbouring Ashcombe Estate. Ritchie took over running of the airfield in February 2023.[134][135]
Ritchie became a comic writer from 2007 to 2008 with the release of theVirgin Comics seriesGuy Ritchie's Gamekeeper.
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels | Yes | Yes | No | Alsocasting director |
| 2000 | Snatch | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2002 | Swept Away | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2005 | Revolver | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2008 | RocknRolla | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2009 | Sherlock Holmes | Yes | No | No | |
| 2011 | Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows | Yes | No | No | |
| 2015 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2017 | King Arthur: Legend of the Sword | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2019 | Aladdin | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2020 | The Gentlemen | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2021 | Wrath of Man | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2023 | Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Guy Ritchie's The Covenant | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2024 | The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2025 | Fountain of Youth | Yes | No | Yes | |
| TBA | In the Grey | Yes | Yes | Yes | Post-production |
| Wife & Dog | Yes | Yes | Yes | Filming |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Hard Case | Yes | Yes | |
| 2001 | The Hire | Yes | Yes | Segment:Star |
| Year | Title | Director | Executive producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Lock, Stock... | No | Yes | Yes | Wrote episode:"...and Four Stolen Hooves" |
| 2024 | The Gentlemen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Directed 2 episodes and wrote 2 episodes |
| 2025 | MobLand | Yes | Yes | No | Directed 2 episodes |
| The Diamond Heist[136] | No | Yes | No | Three-part documentary | |
| TBA | Gracie[137] | No | Yes | No | Documentary series |
| TBA | Young Sherlock | Yes | Yes | No |
Tedious, humourless, pretentious and nasty
The project had initially been developed with the title "The Donovans," with plans to function as an across-the-pond spin-off of the Showtime series "Ray Donovan," which was led byLiev Schreiber for seven seasons and a film adaptation. However, it has been reworked into a standalone series with no connections to that franchise.
