Guy Ritchie Is Going To Direct A WW2 Black Ops Movie
After making a name for himself for his British gangster pics, Guy Ritchie has set his sights on the World War II genre as sources tell Deadline Ritchie has signed on to write and direct Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare for Paramount Pictures. Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman will produce on behalf of Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
Based on the book Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops by Damien Lewis, Paramount has had the rights since 2015, when the studio outbid a handful of other suitors to land the book rights.
Guy Ritchie is one of my favorite directors in the game right now. Sure, he has misses, but when he has the oppriutunity to cook with dialogue, rich characters and settings, he makes some of the most entertaining movies you'll ever watch. This is basically my appeal for you to watch 'Snatch', 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', 'The Man From Uncle', 'Rocknrolla', and 'The Gentleman'. The guy is simply the best, and I'll instantly be pumped for anything he does. Here is the concept he is working with:
This tale takes place in 1939, when the Brits were being pounded by Germany in mainland Europe, and Winston Churchill wanted to hit back hard. His answer: Stop fighting under accepted gentlemanly rules of engagement and create a group of warriors who became the first “deniable” secret operatives to strike behind enemy lines. They were basically Britain’s first black ops unit. Members were recruited, knowing they were likely to be killed. They became a very tightknit group, and their work spanned WWII. They won important victories against the Nazis, breaking all the accepted rules of warfare in the process and using deception and even the bow and arrow to dispatch the enemy
So my sense of this is that it will be a touch 'Inglorious Basterds' and 'The Dirty Dozen', but less violent, more witty and obviously much more British. I love a good WW2 movie, and besides 'Fury', it doesn't feel like we've gotten a more action-focused (vs the more dramatic like 'Dunkirk' and 'Hacksaw Ridge') one in a while. Another good sign is that Seattle Kraken owner Jerry Bruckheimer is producing, since he is a guy witch basically the dumbed down sensibilities as Ritchie. This has a ton of potential and is something I'll be keeping a close eye on for you guys. LETS WATCH SOME CLIPS.