Motion Pictures
June 25, 2007
Dark Castle’s “Rocknrolla” In Production
(June 25, 2007 - Burbank, CA) — Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Idris Elba and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges are heading the cast of Dark Castle Entertainment’s “RocknRolla.” The announcement was made today by Dark Castle Co-Presidents Susan Downey and Steve Richards.
Principal photography began on June 19th on location in London, under the direction of Guy Ritchie.
Gerard Butler is starring as a character called One Two, a street-smart mobster who has learned to play both sides of the fence. Butler most recently starred in the blockbuster actioner “300,” which broke box office records on its way to grossing more than $440 million worldwide. This holiday season, he stars opposite Hilary Swank in the romantic drama “P.S. I Love You.” Butler next stars in the family adventure “Nim’s Island,” opposite Jodie Foster, followed by the thriller “Game.”
Tom Wilkinson stars as the lethal head mobster, Lenny Cole, part of London’s old mob regime, which is quickly losing ground to the wealthier foreign mob. Wilkinson earned Oscar and BAFTA Award nominations for his performance in Todd Field’s drama “In the Bedroom.” He also received Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations for his performance in the telefilm “Normal.” He next stars in the drama “Michael Clayton,” with George Clooney; Woody Allen’s “Cassandra’s Dream”; the independent film “Dedication”; and the HBO miniseries “John Adams.” His list of film credits also includes “Batman Begins,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “The Patriot,” “Rush Hour,” “Shakespeare in Love” and “The Full Monty,” among many others.
Thandie Newton is starring as One Two’s love interest, Stella, a smart and sexy accountant with ties to the underworld. Newton most recently starred opposite Will Smith in the acclaimed drama “The Pursuit of Happyness” and opposite Eddie Murphy in the hit comedy “Norbit.” She was previously part of the award-winning ensemble cast of the Oscar-winning Best Picture “Crash,” for which she won a BAFTA Award. Her film credits also include “The Chronicles of Riddick,” Jonathan Demme’s “The Truth About Charlie,” “Mission: Impossible II” and “Beloved.” Newton also had a multiple episode arc on the hit NBC series “ER.” This fall, Newton stars in the comedy “Run, Fat Boy, Run,” which marks David Schwimmer’s feature film directorial debut.
Idris Elba stars as Mumbles, who is One Two’s partner. Elba is perhaps best known for his role on the acclaimed HBO series “The Wire.” On the big screen, he was most recently seen in the horror thriller “28 Weeks Later.” His other film work includes lead roles in “The Reaping,” “Daddy’s Little Girls,” “The Gospel,” “One Love” and “Buffalo Soldiers.” This fall, Elba will be seen in Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster,” opposite Denzel Washington, and in the comedy “This Christmas.”
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges is starring as Roman, an American trying to break into the music scene in London. Bridges was already a Grammy-winning musician when he earned the acclaim of both critics and audiences for his performance in the Oscar-winning Best Picture “Crash,” also sharing in both Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice Awards as part of the ensemble cast. Later this fall, he will be seen in the comedy “Fred Claus” with Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti. Bridges’ other acting credits include the films “Hustle & Flow,” “2 Fast 2 Furious” and a guest-starring role in NBC’s hit drama series “Law & Order: SVU.”
Guy Ritchie wrote the screenplay and is directing “RocknRolla,” in which he revisits the seedy, offbeat landscape of modern day London that he explored in his critically acclaimed films “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch.” When a Russian mobster orchestrates a crooked land deal, millions of dollars are up for grabs, and all of London’s criminal underworld wants in on the action. Everyone from a dangerous crime lord to a sexy accountant, a corrupt politician and down-on-their-luck petty thieves conspire, collude and collide with one another in an effort to get rich quick.
Joel Silver is producing “RocknRolla” with Ritchie, Susan Downey and Steve Clark-Hall. Steve Richards and Navid McIlhargey are the executive producers, with Lauren Meek serving as associate producer.
“RocknRolla” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
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