Guy Ritchie’s Movie Career Would Look Very Different If Lock, Stock’s Original Casting Plan Had Happened

Known for his witty and electric crime movies, prolific English filmmaker Guy Ritchie‘s career would look completely different had his original casting plan actually happened. With Henry Cavill starring in Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, the filmmaker has established himself as one of the most in-demand filmmakers of his generation. However, long before solidifying himself as one of the most prolific summer blockbuster directors, Ritchie was best known for writing, directing, and occasionally producing underrated crime movies infused with his sharp sense of English wit.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels‘ unique sense of humor, inspired performances from its relatively unknown cast, and Ritchie’s signature witty dialogue helped establish the English filmmaker as one of the nation’s best up and comers. While Ritchie’s body of work has seen the filmmaker take on more ambitious blockbusters, he still manages to write and produce his own original projects, often set against the backdrop of London’s seedy underworld. Despite Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels‘ reassessment as a classic, the film and Ritchie’s career would have been completely different had its casting been different.

Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels Had A Very Different Plan For Casting Eddie

Actors like Jude Law and Ethan Hawke were in consideration for the role of the film’s protagonist.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels sees Eddie and his three closest friends race against the clock to pay back a ruthless English mobster after losing money they owe him in a high-stakes poker game. While the movie notably features action star Jason Statham and English tough guy Vinnie Jones, the protagonist, Eddie, holds things together, and the performance of actor Nick Moran remains one of the best in a Ritchie film. However, the movie’s distinct sense of humor that lends much of itself to English sensibilities likely would have been lost had the casting been different.

As per Independent, Moran exclaims that he wasn’t the first choice to star in Ritchie’s debut, as the idea was to hire actors who were bankable and more familiar to American audiences. As such, actors Ethan Hawke, Steven Dorff, and even Jude Law were all top choices for the role of Eddie, but they either weren’t interested or were too expensive, which led to Moran’s casting. While things could have backfired, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise since production costs rose, causing Ritchie to partially finance the film, and Moran’s chemistry with the supporting cast was perfect.

Nick Moran’s Casting Was Integral To Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels’ Success

Moran’s chemistry blends well with all three of his cast mates.

In addition to Moran and Statham, Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher round out the remainder of the central cast, and the film is at its best when all four players are on-screen. Whereas Eddie is more of a traditional protagonist, each of his co-stars embody a completely different kind of energy, ranging from wild and borderline obscene to more mellow and subdued. This contributes to the film never feeling dull and, despite the severity of Eddie’s predicament, the energy remains high throughout. If any of the four characters were played by different actors, it would have ruined the film.

Moreover, Ritchie working with lesser-known actors was a major benefit as it gave the writer-director more control over his vision. Had bigger names been cast, Ritchie likely would have had to sacrifice his vision to better suit the stars’ personas, demands, etc. While Jason Statham is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood today, he delivers a decidedly inspired and distinct performance in both his and Ritchie’s feature-length debuts. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was not only the first of many collaborations between Ritchie and Statham, but it was also the mark of a unique directing career

Guy Ritchie’s Career Would Look Very Different If Lock, Stock Had Failed

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ success allowed Ritchie to write and direct more original films.

Although Ritchie’s more contemporary work sees the filmmaker working in bigger genre pieces, such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and Aladdin, his proclivities for writing and directing heist films with his signature brand of humor still surface in the mainstream in between his bigger projects. Revolver, RocknRolla, and The Gentlemen, all came out in between Ritchie’s bigger projects, which highlights the filmmaker’s ability to cater to both mainstream and more independent sensibilities. If he had a big-name star in his debut, Ritchie’s career would have centered more around mainstream work.

Working with big-name stars so early in his career also could have stunted Ritchie’s progress, since he more than likely would have lacked the experience required to handle more seasoned actors. Working with Moran, Statham, Flemyng, Fletcher, and Jones early on gave Ritchie the freedom to explore his style with minimal studio input, which effectively led to the director’s even more successful Snatch – a film with more established stars. Although Guy Ritchie‘s career has evolved tremendously since Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, his debut established his tone and voice perfectly.