The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare - Cast, Director, And More Info
Few major directors have been known to churn out a film like Guy Ritchie. In recent years, at least, the British director has moved from one project to another with a fascinating quickness; he's pretty much the anti-Baz Lurhmann in that regard. Not unlike Luhrmann though, Ritchie has his own distinctive, bombastic style — and a growing pool of actors he likes to collaborate with.
I'm no expert, but Ritchie seems like a properly fun director to work with, so much so that a number of Ritchie regulars are returning for the director's latest project, an espionage epic called "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare."
With so many other projects on his plate already — the sequel to his live-action "Aladdin," a live-action take on Disney's "Hercules," and a TV spin-off of "The Gentlemen" — it's a wonder that Ritchie's found the time. Does he hire little helpers? Does he have a clone? Whatever his secret, let's hope "The Ministry" is just as fun as other recent capers. Here's everything we know so far about Ritchie's upcoming project.
When does The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare premiere?
Principal photography on "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" ran from February to April 2023, with the film eyeing a release some time in 2024. According to Deadline, Guy Ritchie and producer Jerry Bruckheimer may build a franchise around the film. This is pretty exciting news for fans of Ritchie films like "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," which had tentative sequel potential but not much of a presence at the box office. Knowing that "The Ministry" has more or less secured a hybrid worldwide release takes a bit of the pressure off, and may allow the saga to continue in a few installments.
Bruckheimer, at least, has plenty of faith in the film. "'Ministry' is precisely what cinemas need right now — larger-than-life entertainment with incredible talent on both sides of the camera and an unbelievable true story," Bruckheimer said of the film. "We are thrilled to partner with Adam and Lionsgate to bring this to theaters across the US, as well as our incredible international partners, including Prime Video."
The cast of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Henry Cavill and Eiza González will lead "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare." Cavill will reportedly portray the leader of the titular Ministry, while González co-stars as a military sniper with extraordinary spycraft abilities. They're joined by Henry Golding ("Crazy Rich Asians"), Alan Ritchson ("Fast X," "Reacher"), and Cary Elwes ("The Princess Bride"). Rounding out the supporting cast are Alex Pettyfer ("Magic Mike," "I Am Number Four"), Babs Olusanmokun ("Star Trek: Strange New Worlds"), Hero Fiennes Tiffin ("The Woman King"), Henrique Zaga ("The New Mutants") and Til Schweiger ("Inglourious Basterds").
Not only is this an impressive ensemble in its own right, it will also make a particular treat for Guy Ritchie fans. "Ministry" will reunite the director with three actors from past films: "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." star Cavill; Golding, from "The Gentlemen"; and Elwes, who also appears in "Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre."
Who's directing and writing The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare?
With Guy Ritchie behind the camera, the director's producing partner, Ivan Atkinson, is teaming up with Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman. Scott Lastaiti, Olga Filipuk and Damien Lewis will executive produce alongside screenwriters Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson. Tamsay and Johnson, having previously collaborated on "The Fighter," "The Finest Hours," and "The Outpost," wrote the "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" script with Arash Amel and Ritchie, adapting from Damien Lewis' bestselling book of the same name, which was in turn inspired by a true story.
Lionsgate nabbed domestic distribution rights for "Ministry" as the film was early in production, while Prime Video will distribute internationally in Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India and parts of Asia.
What's the plot of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare?
"The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" will follow the "outrageous true story" of a secret organization founded in the UK during World War II. The ministry in question was created by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels. According to the synopsis, "this clandestine squad's unconventional and entirely 'ungentlemanly' fighting techniques against the Nazis significantly changed the course of the war."
War flicks are a constant staple in Hollywood, especially those concerning WWII. Churchill and Fleming's joint operation was also touched on in another recent film, the Netflix drama "Operation Mincemeat." That said, the film focused on one clandestine mission in particular; Ritchie's own will likely be a more comprehensive look at the titular ministry. Either way, there's no doubt that Ritchie will bring something new to this particular subgenre.
Henry Cavill shares a first look at The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Though principal photography on "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" wrapped in April of 2023, further news about the project has been slow in the time since. Of course, much of the film industry went into a holding pattern with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that went into effect shortly thereafter. With actors abstaining from promoting struck work and release dates for the coming year thrown into uncertainty, the new Guy Ritchie outing is one of many projects with a hazy future.
While we wait to see a trailer for "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," we do have one promotional image that was shared by star Henry Cavill while the film was shooting in March of 2023. On his Instagram, the action star formerly known as Superman and Geralt gave fans a glimpse of his next project. The faux-aged still, credited to Daniel Smith Photography, features Cavill and his co-stars Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and Henry Golding in period garb on the deck of a ship, looking positively ready for some ungentlemanly action.