EXCLUSIVE: There’s more star power on board for Guy Ritchie and Jerry Bruckheimer’s new war movie, The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare, we can reveal, ahead of its February 13 start date.
Joining Henry Cavill and Eiza González are Alan Ritchson (Fast X, Reacher), Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians, The Gentlemen), Henry Zaga (Beyond The Universe), Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike, The Butler), Cary Elwes (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After franchise), Babs Olusanmokun (Dune, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”) and Til Schweiger (Inglourious Basterds, Atomic Blonde).
Black Bear International arranged financing The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and is handling world sales on the film.
The true story covers UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s and Ian Fleming’s secret WWII combat organization. The clandestine squad’s unconventional and ‘ungentlemanly’ fighting techniques against the Nazis helped change the course of the war and gave birth to the modern Black Ops unit.
The script by Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, Arash Amel and Ritchie is based on war correspondent and military historian Damien Lewis’ best-selling book of the same name. Tamasy and Johnson initiated the project and sold it as a pitch to Bruckheimer and Paramount in 2015.
On the heels of his Best Picture Oscar nom for Top Gun: Maverick, Bruckheimer (Bad Boys for Life, Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) is producing alongside Chad Oman, Ritchie’s producing partner Ivan Atkinson, and John Friedberg for Black Bear International. Executive producers include Scott Lastaiti, Olga Filipuk, Damien Lewis, and Tamasy and Johnson.
Ritchson is the star of the Amazon series Reacher, which ranks among Prime Video’s top five most-watched series ever in the U.S. and globally. He will next star in Universal’s Fast X, the 10th installment of the blockbuster Fast and Furious franchise, and the Lionsgate drama Ordinary Angels opposite Hilary Swank.
Golding reunites with Guy Ritchie following The Gentlemen and is currently in post on The Old Guard 2 starring Charlize Theron for Netflix, the Paramount animated film The Tiger’s Apprentice, and Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater’s drama Downtown Owl for Sony.
Zaga recently starred in Beyond the Universe for Netflix and The New Mutants for 20th Century Studios. He also just finished shooting the Apple limited series The Crowded Room.
Pettyfer is best known for starring in Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike, as well as historical drama The Butler and Back Roads. He will next be seen in the upcoming film 5Lbs of Pressure.
Elwes’ career included starring roles in The Princess Bride and Saw. He will next star in several films, including Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, and the Zack Snyder-directed Rebel Moon for Netflix. He also stars in the indie film Blackberry, which is in competition at this year’s Berlinale.
Fiennes Tiffin got his start playing Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and has since starred in the After franchise, and most recently The Woman King alongside Viola Davis.
Olusanmokun’s recent credits include Dune and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” for Paramount+ and he has previously worked with Guy Ritchie on Wrath of Man for MGM.
Schweiger is known for roles in Inglorious Basterds and Atomic Blonde, among others, and is also an extremely successful director in Germany, known for films including Berlin, I Love You and Honig Im Kopf (Head Full of Honey).
Ritchson is represented by WME, Dan Spilo of Industry Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller. Golding is repped by CAA and Megan Silverman Management. Zaga is repped by WME and Circle of Confusion. Pettyfer is represented by Independent Talent Group, Black Bear Management and Dark Dreams Entertainment. Elwes by APA, The Artists Partnership, LINK Entertainment and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.
Fiennes Tiffin is repped by CAA, The Artists Partnership and Vybe Trybe. Olusanmokun by CAA and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson + Christopher, LLP. Schweiger by APA and Framework Entertainment.
