As part of my tracking on what’s dethroning what on Netflix’s top 10 list, I keep waiting and waiting for The Gentlemen to drop from #1, and it simply will not. It has held off all comers, even the recent Love is Blind reunion episode, and this is now 10 days or so that it’s been the highest viewed program on the service, as it was released on March 7.
As such, the idea that a season 2 is coming, further exploring Eddie and Susie’s adventures in the drug business, almost seems like a sure thing. While the season did not necessarily end on a huge cliffhanger, it’s clear that there are many paths forward for the series to make new content, and Netflix is nothing if not in search of new hits, particularly as old ones end like The Crown and Stranger Things.
Another thing working to the advantage of The Gentlemen is its budget. We don’t know exactly how much it costs, but we do know two things. First, it is not a series hugely reliant on pricey VFX the way we see with so much other Netflix content. Second, unlike the first film it was spun out of, it does not have an ultra-high-profile A-list cast. Yes, Theo James and Kayla Scodelario are excellent as the leads, but they’re also not Matthew McConaughey and Colin Farrell either. Not yet, anyway. While they should get a raise for a second season, they are lower cost than other actors might be.
I do wonder that if a second season is greenlit, that it will finally cross over with the original movie in a meaningful way. Though set in the “same world,” there really is no direct connection between the show and movie. It would likely only be a character or two, not bringing in the whole, very well-known cast, but it stands to reason they might do that to expand the “Guy Ritchie British Crime Universe,” which apparently is a thing now.
Freddy Actor Daniel Ings has said that he hopes that a second season would contain a power struggle between Freddy and Susie “for the soul of Eddie,” though I think that’s just wishful thinking on his end. But the head of Miramax, which produces the show, has said that they have “started the process” and spoken with Guy Ritchie and writers about the prospect of the season 2. That all hinged on season 1 performing well but I mean, it’s performing very well.
I think this is pretty much a sure thing at this point. Netflix wants hits, they found one, it’s not meant to be a miniseries, it’s not that expensive. The end. This will happen, it’s just a matter of when Netflix decides to announce it. I have no doubt.
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