'The Gentlemen 2'? Why a sequel may (or may not) happen

Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen is bound for cult status. But does that mean a sequel is on the way? And if so, what could that movie look like? There are some avenues a sequel could take continue the saga of Mickey Pearson -- though the story might also be a one-movie affair.

Spoilers ahead!

The Gentlemen is a brash crime movie populated by amoral (and comically racist) characters played by Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Hugh Grant, and Jeremy Strong. The film stars McConaughey as an American weed baron in England, fending off predatory buyers. It's an original story not based on previously existing movies, novels, or comic books, The Gentlemen is a spiritual successor to Ritchie's earlier movies, such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000).

Will there be a sequel to The Gentlemen?

There is currently no official word whether Guy Ritchie will write and direct a sequel to The Gentlemen.

Despite positive reviews from critics, the film finished its January 24 opening weekend in fourth place, grossing just $10.7 million placing it behind Dolittle ($12.2 million), 1917 ($15.9 million), and Bad Boys for Life ($34 million). Such a performance doesn't often green light a sequel right away, which means fans hoping for a sequel may have history agains them.

Lastly, there's only on person who can tell you if there's a sequel to Guy Ritchie's movie: Guy Ritchie. His attention has already moved on from The Gentlemen as the director is already knee-deep on his next film. Cash Truck, a remake to a 2004 French movie from director Nicolas Boukhrief is already in post-production after filming in Los Angeles and London. The movie stars Jason Statham, Scott Eastwood, Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, and Josh Hartnett about the "cold and mysterious" courier, known only as "H" (Statham) who has to move hundreds of millions around Los Angeles.

But could there be a sequel to The Gentlemen?

The Gentlemen doesn't really lend itself to sequels. Like most Guy Ritchie movies, it lives and dies as a one-and-done pulp narrative. Especially since (spoilers) Matthew McConaughey's Mickey Pearson comes out at top, it's difficult to imagine a scenario unless you are Guy Ritchie.

That said, there's still several some open avenues for these characters (the ones who survive, anyway) to live to see a sequel. Cannabis legalization in the UK is farther behind than it is in the United States. So unless something happens overnight, Mickey would still have a lucrative enterprise if a sequel picks up even half a decade from now.

But what if Mickey's position was threatened and another marijuana baron rises up to challenge Mickey? If The Gentlemen was all about the jungle trying to kill the lion, could The Gentlemen 2 be about two lions vying for the same crown instead?

Meanwhile, the film's ending heavily implies that Raymond (Hunnam) kills Fletcher (Grant), the slimy investigator who tries to sell Mickey's story as a screenplay to movie studios. It's genuinely more fun to think that Raymond kills Fletcher. But what if Fletcher is actually allowed to live, and Raymond instead uses Fletcher to go after their enemies? Surely there are other gangs after Mickey, and surely Mickey could use someone who knows how to collect intel. If The Gentlemen is all about Fletcher trying to blackmail Mickey, what if The Gentlemen 2 is about Fletcher blackmailing on behalf of Mickey?

Lastly, there's the matter of Coach (Farrell). It was clear by the film's end that Coach paid off his debts to Mickey & Raymond and wants nothing more to do with these characters. But because Farrell's character is simply too good and too funny to never see again, it's not impossible to imagine Coach and his kids getting wrapped up in another problem. Coach's kids got themselves mixed up in Mickey's crosshairs, it's not crazy to think them doing it again to someone even more dangerous than Mickey Pearson.

Truth is, The Gentlemen doesn't need a sequel. In an age where good stories aren't expected to end and instead spawn multimedia franchises, it's actually refreshing to have a movie completely self-contained in its narrative; the dirty truth is that it's actually more fun to think about sequels than to actually get them. But as the characters of The Gentlemen argue themselves, evolution is king of the jungle. A sequel isn't such a bad way to assert dominance.

The Gentlemen is in theaters now.