This could be very, very special.
The world is divided into two groups of people: Those that love The Raid films and those that haven’t seen The Raid films but will fall in love with them.
As we’ve mentioned before, we’re massive fans of Gareth Evans’ saga and while the first film was undoubtedly one of the greatest action films ever made, the sequel, The Raid 2: Berandal, expanded the world we were introduced to in the original.
Taking its cue from the likes of Internal Affairs, The Godfather, and the work of Martin Scorsese, The Raid 2 was a sweeping epic that depicted rampant police corruption and the crime families that dominated Jakarta’s criminal underworld.
It was also another breathtaking action film – how about that scene of Rama vs Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Man?
Anyway, Gareth Evans is now turning his considerable talent to the world of TV and his new show, Gangs of London, sounds like an absolute doozy.
Set in one of the world’s most dynamic, multicultural cities — one which is torn by the turbulent power struggles of the international gangs that control it — the 10-part series will chronicle the sudden power vacuum created when the head of a crime organisation is assassinated and how his death threatens the fragile peace between the intricate web of gangs operating on the streets of the city.
In terms of the cast, Gangs of London is looking very impressive with Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders), David Bradley (Game of Thrones), and Colm Meaney all starring.
Evans will direct the majority of the 10 episodes and the show will also feature plenty of fight sequences too. If you’ve seen The Raid, you’ll know just how good Evans is at shooting action.
Corin Hardy (The Nun, The Hallow) will also direct three episodes of the show with French director Xavier Gens (Hitman, The Divide) filming the rest.
The addition of Meaney is an excellent choice because, as Layer Cake fans can attest to, the Irishman is more than capable of playing an intimidating gangster.
If Gangs of London is even half as good as The Raid films, we’re in for a treat.
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