London’s Leicester Square was covered in diamonds at the world premiere of Guy Ritchie’s **RocknRolla **on Monday night – diamond geezers that is.
The testosterone-fuelled cast, including the likes of Gerard Butler, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy and Tom Wilkinson hit the red carpet (along with the rather more feminine presence of the gorgeous Thandie Newton and some singer called Madonna) to celebrate the release of Ritchie’s return to expletive-packed form.
As is usual with Ritchie’s movies, this contemporary tale of new and old-school gangsters coming to blows in the Big Smoke is a star-studded affair. What drives these A-listers to sign up to the director’s movies?
“It’s probably 60% Guy Ritchie and 40% the script,” says Gerard Butler. “Even if it was Guy Ritchie doing the movie, if I didn’t like the script I wouldn’t do it. Luckily I really did and I got the chance to work with a great director.”
RocknRolla marks a return Ritchie’s regular stomping ground, what’s draws him to make movies in his home town?
“Well, I’ve lived here for 40 years so that helps,” says the director. “There’s a whole list of locations around London that I’ve wanted to film for years, with RocknRolla I’ve got the chance to do that. I’ve tried to reflect a more glamorous side to London than you would traditionally see.”
Was he ever worried that this return to crime would seem like a step back to his glory days of Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch?
“Not worried no,” he says. “It’s in the same genre so it was inevitable that they would be compared but that was the intention. RocknRolla does what it says on the tin so if you liked those you’ll love this.”
So confident of RocknRolla’s success is Ritchie in fact that he’s already penned the script for potential sequels.
“Every time I do it, I get more fascinated by the genre,” says Ritchie. “That’s why I’ve already written parts two and three. Hopefully people will go and see this one and see the next one.”
So does that mean the original cast are likely to return for more criminal shenanigans in capital city?
“We’ll see how this one does and then we’ll hopefully be back for another two,” says Idris Elba. “I love working with Guy Ritchie, he’s a great director and he writes really good films so I’d jump at the chance to return.”
BEWARE: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS THE ODD SPOILER.