British filmmaker Guy Ritchie returns to the world of organized crime with MobLand, a new television series featuring an ensemble cast including Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren. The 10-episode show follows two rival London crime families, the Harrigans and the Stevensons, with Hardy playing the role of Harry Da Souza, the Harrigans’ well-connected fixer. MobLand follows the success of Ritchie’s 2024 Netflix hit The Gentlemen, further expanding his exploration of the gritty underworld.
Ritchie, who made his directorial debut with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998, has since helmed films such as Snatch, Sherlock Holmes, and Aladdin. Now embracing long-form storytelling, he finds television an exciting challenge. “I quite like that it goes on for a long time, to be fair. I quite like TV, so it’s fun to oscillate between TV and film. I just think one informs the other,” the 56-year-old director said.
Brosnan takes on the role of Conrad Harrigan, the crime family patriarch, while Mirren plays his formidable wife, Maeve. The veteran actor received the script from Ritchie last summer while working with Mirren on The Thursday Murder Club, and the pair decided to join the project together. The experience was a whirlwind for Brosnan, who wrapped filming just a day before the premiere. “This is bonkers. I’ve never had something like this happen in life where you work for five months, finish, and then the next night you’re on the red carpet. But that’s the way the world is going—fast,” he said.
Having starred in television’s The Son, Brosnan was eager to return to the format, enjoying the challenge and energy that a well-written ensemble drama brings. “It keeps you on your feet. And if the writing’s really good and you have people who know how to create an ensemble and create drama, then it’s hard work, but it’s exhilarating,” he added.
The series also marks a new experience for Muse frontman Matt Bellamy, who composed the score alongside Ilan Eshkeri. “I’m familiar with scoring, but this was different because of the sheer length of music involved,” Bellamy explained. “Normally, a film would be 90 minutes or something, but this is like 10 hours.” Blending gritty industrial electronic music with elegant string quartets, the soundtrack reflects the duality of the Harrigan family’s luxurious yet dangerous world.
With its compelling narrative, powerhouse performances, and immersive score, MobLand cements Ritchie’s status as a master of crime storytelling, seamlessly transitioning between film and television.
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