Gangs of London (TV series)

Last updated

Gangs of London
Genre
Created by
Based on Gangs of London
by London Studio [a]
Starring
Composers
  • Aria Prayogi
  • Fajar Yuskemal
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes25
Production
Executive producers
  • Thomas Benski
  • Lucas Ochoa
  • Jane Featherstone
  • Gareth Evans
  • Matt Flannery
  • Gabriel Silver
  • Tom Butterworth
  • Corin Hardy
  • Helen Gregory
  • Peter McKenna
  • Michael Eagle-Hodgeson
  • Vikki Tennant
  • Jamie Hall
  • Kim Hong Sun
  • Sope Dirisu
Producers
  • Hugh Warren
  • Charlotte Surtees
Cinematography
  • Matt Flannery
  • Martijn van Broekhuizen
  • Laurent Barès
Running time53–93 minutes
Production companies
  • Pulse Films
  • Sister Pictures
  • One More One
  • FendoUK
  • Sky Studios
Original release
Network
Release23 April 2020 (2020-04-23) –
present
Related
The Getaway franchise

Gangs of London is a British action thriller television series created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery. [1] Based on London Studio's video game of the same name, [2] [3] it serves as a spinoff of The Getaway franchise. [4]

Contents

The first series premiered on 23 April 2020 on Sky Atlantic. In June 2020, it was renewed for a second series, with AMC taking over US broadcast rights and co-producing, and Corin Hardy taking over as showrunner. [5] [6] The second series premiered on 20 October 2022 in the UK and on 17 November 2022 in the US. [7] In November 2022, it was renewed for a third series [8] that premiered on 20 March 2025 in the UK. [9] [10] In August 2025, it was renewed for a fourth series [11]

The series has received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its performances, narrative, and action sequences, though some criticism was aimed at its excessive violence.

Premise

The series follows the power struggles of the rival gangs and criminal organisations in London. As one of the world's most dynamic and multicultural cities, London's criminal underworld is thrown into disarray following the assassination of the head of the city's most powerful crime family.

For twenty years, Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney) was the most powerful criminal in London until his death, with billions of pounds flowing through the Wallace Organisation each year. His son Sean Wallace (Joe Cole), with the help of his mother, Marian Wallace (Michelle Fairley), and Finn's right-hand man Ed Dumani (Lucian Msamati), attempts to continue his legacy. Finn's assassination causes ripples across the world of international crime, affecting the Albanian mafia, Kurdish PKK, and the Pakistani drug cartel, among various other criminal elements. Newcomer Elliot Carter (Sope Dirisu), an undercover police officer, is tasked with infiltrating the Wallace Organisation to expose them in their moment of weakness, eventually abandoning the police to become a leading member of the organisation himself.

Cast and characters

Overview

ActorCharacterSeries
123
Main characters
Joe Cole Sean Wallace Main
Colm Meaney Finn WallaceMain
Lucian Msamati Edward "Ed" DumaniMain
Sope Dirisu Elliot CarterMain
Michelle Fairley Marian WallaceMain
Brian Vernel Billy WallaceMain
Valene Kane Jacqueline RobinsonMain
Paapa Essiedu Alexander "Alex" DumaniMain
Pippa Bennett-Warner Shannon DumaniMain
Asif Raza Mir Asif AfridiMain
Orli Shuka Luan DushajMain
Narges Rashidi LaleMain
Mark Lewis Jones Kinney EdwardsMain
Ray Panthaki Jevan KapadiaMain
Jing Lusi Victoria "Vicky" ChungMain
Waleed Zuaiter KobaMain
Jahz ArmandoSaba SoudaniMain
Fady Elsayed Faz SoudaniMain
Salem KaliBasem SoudaniMain
Aymen HamdouchiHakim SoudaniMain
Andrew Koji Zeek KimuraMain
Richard Dormer Cornelius QuinnMain
T'Nia Miller Simone ThearleMain

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
1 923 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
2 820 October 2022 (2022-10-20)
3 820 March 2025 (2025-03-20)

Series 1 (2020)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Episode 1" Gareth Evans Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery23 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
Finn Wallace, patriarch of the Wallace crime syndicate, is murdered by a young Welsh Traveller named Darren, who was oblivious to his target's identity. With support from Finn's widow Marian, his son Sean takes over the syndicate, shutting down all business to other criminal enterprises in the city until his father's killer is identified. Finn's adviser Ed Dumani, whose son Alex is lifelong friends with Sean, advises against this but Sean proceeds. Suspicion immediately falls on Albanian gang boss Luan, who was absent from Finn's wake. Elliot, a low-ranking member of the Wallace organisation, learns that Luan has Finn's missing driver Jack captive. Revealing himself a highly skilled combatant, Elliot recovers Jack from Luan's hideout, earning favour with Sean. Darren's estranged father Kinney, a leader among the local Travellers, finds out and tracks Darren down to his hideout, recovering him while having Darren's friend and getaway driver tortured to death. Kinney sends Darren away with his Traveller connections. Elliot, a police spy, receives intel on Darren's hideout from his handler, Vicky Chung. Elliot kills Kinney's men, but Darren is already gone, and the remaining captive kills himself before Elliot can question him. Ed Dumani murders Jack to keep the late Finn's secrets.
2"Episode 2" Corin Hardy Claire Wilson23 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
Flashbacks reveal that Finn took a young Sean out to the woods to commit his first murder. When Sean was unable to, his older brother, Billy, killed the man instead. In the present day, Billy is the black sheep, a gay recovering heroin addict who is kept out of the business. While at an orgy in a hotel room, Billy sees an acquaintance shooting heroin, and demands to know where he got it. Lale, the Kurdish leader, finds a new international source for heroin, stealing it from her Pakistani rival Asif's overseas business, then having it shipped to London. Asif, whose son Nasir is standing for mayor, requests that Sean reopen trade with him exclusively during his shutdown, but Sean refuses. Elliot is assigned to drive Ed Dumani's daughter Shannon, and the two share an immediate spark. Luan meets with Ed and provides him with photos of a secret Finn had kept even from Ed and his family. Kinney approaches Sean, requesting mercy for his son, but Sean refuses. Billy goes missing and Sean tracks him down with help from Elliot, revealing that rather than scoring heroin, Billy was able to identify the dealer as the Kurds, revealing Lale's business despite the shutdown. Sean chastises Billy for doing something so dangerous. Later, Sean leads an attack on Kinney's Traveller encampment, killing dozens, but Kinney escapes.
3"Episode 3"Corin HardyPeter Berry23 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
A flashback in Turkish Kurdistan reveals that Lale's husband Ara was burned alive because he was sold out to Turkish forces by Asif, with Lale swearing revenge. In the present, Lale arranges to ship supplies back to her allies there. Marian learns through Serwa, her private investigator, that Finn was having an affair with a woman named Floriana and spent millions on a yacht in her name. Vicky speaks to the neighbour of the apartment where Finn was killed, learning that Floriana lived there. Luan agrees to launder money through the Wallace business for a dangerous Nigerian crime lord named Mosi. Elliot grows closer to Shannon and her son Danny, kissing Shannon but hesitating to sleep with her. Alex holds a conference as the new face of Finn's legitimate business, impressing investor Jevan Kapadia. Sean and Ed plan separately to deal with Lale's breach of the shutdown. Sean hires a sadistic mercenary named Cole to abduct Lale's sister and her family, blackmailing her into halting her shipment to Kurdistan. Oblivious to this, Ed takes Elliot to Lale's business front, finding the aftermath of Cole's massacre and kidnapping. Elliot, who was hired to drive Cole, identifies where to locate him and Lale's sister. Elliot attempts to rescue the family, only to be nearly killed in a protracted fight with Cole, who is shot dead at the last minute by Ed. Meanwhile, Sean ambushes Lale's shipment and destroys it, revealing that she is now the only London gang leader he knows not to be his father's killer.
4"Episode 4"Corin HardyPeter Berry and Joe Murtagh23 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
Fearing the Wallaces and Dumanis are growing distant, Sean plans a dinner for the two families, even convincing his sister Jacqueline, a doctor with no criminal affiliations, to join. Sean also goes into business with Lale, but Asif learns about this arrangement. Ed shows Luan's photos to Alex, revealing them to be an entire Albanian family that was slaughtered with Finn's involvement. Vicky receives a text telling her to stop investigating Floriana, along with footage of someone entering Vicky's apartment at night and touching her sleeping face with a box cutter. A pregnant Floriana is shown captive in the basement of a Danish man named Leif and his mother. In an intimate moment, Elliot reveals to Shannon that his wife and son were killed in a car accident. Ed shows up at Elliot's home later, suspicious of his loyalties, and assigns him to help Wallace lieutenant Mark track down some petty thieves who robbed a jewellery store under their protection. When Elliot refuses to torture the thieves, Mark identifies him as an undercover cop, witnessed by Anthony, one of the robbers. Ed and Alex attend a party with Wallace Corp's investors, where Jevan insinuates that they now see Alex as the proper heir to the business, not Sean. Sean meets with Luan about the photographs, and Luan begins to explain that Finn hired him to kill the Albanian family. The meeting is interrupted when Leif attempts to assassinate Sean with a sniper rifle from a nearby rooftop. Leif picks off many of Sean's men, including Mark, keeping Elliot's identity safe. Elliot takes a bullet saving Sean's life, and Sean takes a critically wounded Elliot back to his house, interrupting the dinner so Jacqueline can treat his wounds. A house waitress suddenly pulls a gun on Sean, but is shot by Alex, leaving both families in disarray.
5"Episode 5"Gareth EvansGareth Evans and Matt Flannery23 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
Darren is taken by Kinney's contact Mal to a farmhouse far out in the country owned by their acquaintance Evie, a weapons manufacturer who adopts orphaned teenagers. Arrangements are made for Darren to leave the country by boat with Evie's husband, Albert. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the massacre at the Traveller encampment, a wounded Kinney hides out in the surrounding woods. Leif arrives at the campsite to collect intel, accompanied by Tove, the "waitress" who shot at Sean, revealed to be a Danish mercenary as well. Leif discovers Kinney's phone under a trailer and can ascertain Darren's location based on a text exchange. Kinney evades the mercenaries and begins the arduous journey to reach Darren on foot, eventually stealing a man's truck and shotgun along the way. Kinney and the Danes converge on Evie's compound, where a prolonged siege takes place. Mal, Evie and all of her adopted teenagers are killed. Kinney and a resentful Darren retreat through an underground tunnel, but Leif catches up to them, shooting them along with Albert just as they are about to reach his boat. Kinney clings to his son, delivering a final, delirious monologue about perseverance, before Leif executes them both. As Leif calls his contact to confirm Darren's death, it is revealed that the Danes are working for Jevan Kapadia.
6"Episode 6" Xavier Gens Lauren Sequeira23 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
Ed identifies Jevan as the culprit in the dinner shooting. Jevan leverages Alex's life to convince Ed to keep the information secret. Ed continues managing the family business, fulfilling Finn's deal with Luan to help launder his and Mosi's money. Eventually, Ed reveals to Alex that Finn was killed by his own investors, who now want to eliminate Sean and install Alex as the new head of the organisation. Meanwhile Sean, Marian and Billy hide out at a safe house, where Tove is revealed to have survived her gunshot wound, with Marian holding her captive and brutally torturing her for information. Sean attempts to dissuade Marian and reason with Tove, who still refuses to talk. Billy struggles with his addictive urges under stress. Sean invites Elliot to the safe house, whom he trusts for saving his life. The two locate Tove's house using a tracking chip on her dog, identifying her as former Danish Special Forces and briefly encountering her young son. Billy invites Alex to the safe house in exchange for heroin, and Alex is shocked to discover Tove still alive, as he had been led to believe he killed her. Now disillusioned with Sean, Alex joins Ed at a meeting with Jevan. At the safehouse, a relapsed Billy wanders into the torture room, where Tove escapes her binds and takes him hostage, not before revealing the crucial detail that her team was meant to attack only when the Dumanis were absent. Marian shoots Tove dead, risking Billy's life. Sean confronts Alex about the information Tove provided, but their confrontation is interrupted when Alex realises 500 million pounds – including Luan's and Mosi's money – has disappeared from their company bank account.
7"Episode 7"Xavier GensPeter Berry23 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
Asif sends men to massacres Lale's entire organisation. Lale herself escapes. She makes contact with Sean, and the two form a secret allegiance. Elliot tips off Vicky about Tove and Leif, but Leif and his mother remove Floriana from their property before the raid, which uncovers nothing. Vicky's superior, DCI Harks, indicates that Elliot is untrustworthy and initiates the process of pulling him from his undercover position, focusing instead on Anthony, the jewellery robber, another undercover cop now rising in the ranks. With his money still missing, Mosi arrives in London looking for answers. He and his men slaughter the employees at the investment bank where it was being laundered, then visit Luan's home during his daughter's birthday and threaten him. Luan, in turn, threatens Ed, believing he stole the money from the account. Alex identifies the withdrawals as an automated transfer set in motion by Finn himself. He and Ed piece together that Finn was planning to abandon his family and business to start a new life with Floriana. The massacre at the investment house raises red flags for the investors, and Jevan demands that Ed and Alex take initiative in usurping the business from Sean. Marian visits her sister in Ireland, trading the "Floriana" yacht for a small army of men to boost the family's dwindling muscle. Serwa spots Ed and Alex meeting with Jevan, and Sean calls a meeting with them. Ed lays out the situation – that Sean is being pushed out of the family business by investors, with Alex set to take over, and Finn himself never intended to make Sean his heir. Furious, Sean shoots Ed in the leg and cuts ties with the Dumanis, ordering them all out of his house.
8"Episode 8"Xavier GensCarl Joos and Peter Berry23 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
Sean and Marian hide in an old tenement building belonging to their company. Leif and his mercenary squad pursue the Wallaces, looking to take Jackie hostage, but Billy warns her and the two leave together, setting up passports for fake identities out of the country. Elliot attempts to make contact with Shannon, but Ed turns him away. Anthony's cover is blown, and Marian's men torture him for information. Elliot is assigned to locate Anthony and call it in. Elliot fails to save Anthony, who is killed, and he, in turn, kills Marian's men, staging a shootout between them and Anthony to hide his involvement. Luan attempts to ambush Mosi but is double-crossed, and his accomplices are killed. When his family is threatened, Luan flies into a rage and kills Mosi and all three of his men single-handedly. Floriana gives birth to Finn's daughter, then escapes Leif's house, kicking his mother down the stairs in the process. Alex and his employees track down part of the money Finn had withdrawn, providing results for the investors. Sean, completely disillusioned with his father's legacy, makes a last-ditch retaliation against his enemies, arranging with Lale to plant explosives underneath a Wallace skyscraper. The building collapses and explodes, resulting in a smoke cloud and blackout across downtown London.
9"Episode 9"Corin HardyClaire Wilson23 April 2020 (2020-04-23)
Elliot is held captive and under interrogation by government agents. Flashbacks reveal the events of the previous day. In the aftermath of the bombing, Sean is wanted as a terrorist and is hiding out on his own. He cracks Anthony's phone and discovers that Elliot is an undercover cop. Jevan is visited by two higher-ranking investors, Kane and Jacob, who have him thrown from his apartment window and killed. Asif's son Nasir wins the election and becomes mayor of London. Lale, disguised as a journalist, assassinates Nasir at his own victory party, leaving his mutilated corpse for Asif to find. Their arrangement complete, Lale sleeps with Sean before returning to Kurdistan. Ed meets with Marian in a graveyard, imploring her to give up Sean. The two pull guns on each other, and Ed shoots Marian, seemingly killing her. Harks informs Vicky that Elliot has been retired from duty as a police officer. Vicky visits Shannon at home, attempting to turn her into an informant. Shannon discerns that Elliot was undercover and shoots Vicky dead. Searching for Sean, Elliot gets his location from Billy. Before visiting Sean's hideout, Elliot is picked up by Kane and Jacob, who order him to keep Alex Dumani in play and prevent Sean from standing trial, leveraging Shannon and Danny's lives to compel him. Elliot visits Sean, who at first considers killing the undercover cop. Instead, he provides Elliot with a microchip containing evidence against the investors, hoping he can bring them down legally. Alex arrives at Sean's hideout, bribing Sean's doormen to let him bring a gun into the room. He plans to kill Sean, but cannot follow through with it as Sean talks him down. Elliot disarms Alex, only to shoot Sean with the gun. Police raid the hideout, and Elliot successfully smuggles Alex to safety, though Harks is killed in the process. Elliot is arrested afterwards, leading to his interrogation. An agent of the investors, disguised as a nurse, secretly instructs him to claim diplomatic immunity under Panama, and his captors are forced to release him. Though seemingly working for the investors now, Elliot extracts Sean's chip from a hiding place in his mouth. A flashback to the previous day reveals Marian survived her shooting, and she is approached by Floriana, who offers to help her.

Series 2 (2022)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
10"Episode 1" Corin Hardy Tom Butterworth20 October 2022 (2022-10-20)
One year after the death of Sean Wallace, the investors have seized control of all organised crime in London, with Asif Afridi and Ed Dumani serving as stewards over the other gang bosses. The Algerian mafia, led by Basem Soudani, purchase an unauthorised shipment of weapons. Tipped off by Basem's right-hand man Hakim, Asif's enforcer Koba kills the men overseeing the shipment, and tortures Basem's nephew Faz to send a message. Faz figures out that Hakim was the inside man, and his sister Saba overhears them arguing. Asif and Koba determine that Luan Dushaj made the unauthorised weapons shipment. Against Ed's wishes, Koba carries out an attack on Luan's home. Luan kills his attackers, but Koba abducts Luan's wife. Shannon Dumani is released from prison for the murder of Detective Chung but cuts contact with her family except for her son. Elliot Carter has been operating abroad as a hitman for the investors, who leverage his service by holding his father hostage. He is called back to London to kill Alex Dumani, who has been running the legitimate side of the Dumani Corporation but struggling with substance abuse and making unauthorised deals. Rather than kill Alex, Elliot attempts to give him the chip he received from Sean in a USB drive as blackmail material against the investors. However, Alex gives up hope and commits suicide. Marian Wallace is revealed to be Luan's supplier.
11"Episode 2"Corin HardyLauren Sequeira20 October 2022 (2022-10-20)
Billy is dragged away from his retreat with Jacqui to join his mother in seeking revenge on Elliot. He attempts to sneak out, but when caught admits to Jacqui what he is doing. Kane tells Elliot he can see his father in exchange for a job for Koba. Upon meeting them, Elliot takes an immediate dislike to Koba & his men, who need him to track the red car that killed Koba’s driver. Koba & Ed coerce Luan into looking for Marian using his kidnapped wife. When Ed protests, Koba tells him “if you’re stupid enough to have a family, then they are fair game.” When he confronts Asif about the issue, Asif blindsides him with the news of his son’s suicide. Meanwhile, the driver of the red car murders three Somalis working for Koba, and Koba brings Elliot to investigate, sparking tensions between Ed & Elliot. Afterward, Elliot arranges to see his father, stowing the USB in his father’s bathroom. Marian sends Billy and her men to kill Elliot. Floriana questions Billy going alone as well as Marian’s dealings, much to her chagrin. Serwa spots Elliot’s car. Asif and Koba look into Marian’s accounts and her banker, Rutherford, speculating that she found Floriana to access them. Rutherford refuses to turn the money over to the investors until Asif impales him through the hand with a steak knife. Meanwhile, one of Marian’s men diverts from Billy to make a gun deal with Luan. Instead, Luan kidnaps him and tortures him to death, now hoping for his wife back. Billy pursues Elliot, but Elliot diverts into a church where he meets with Singer’s agents, trading them information about the investors in exchange for his and his father’s freedom. Koba intimidates Basem, causing Faz to tearfully confess to Saba about Hakim. After an insult from one of his men, Billy stops searching for Elliot, drinking and reminiscing about Sean, and comes across their old house, now in ruin. He nearly relapses but calls Jacqui and leaves. Shannon arranges for Alex’s funeral while remaining distant from their father. Basem spends a night at a fish market with Saba. Elliot & Koba’s men are sent after to protect him, putting Elliot back on Billy’s radar. Just as Saba is about to confess about Hakim, Basem is shot by the driver of the mysterious red car. Elliot saves Saba but an intoxicated Billy arrives to kill him. Billy is presumed dead after his getaway car falls into the Thames, but he is pulled out by the mysterious driver, Sean. Elliot remains behind just long enough to see Sean and Billy embrace.
12"Episode 3" Marcela Said Tom Butterworth and Steve Searle20 October 2022 (2022-10-20)
In flashbacks, it is shown that Sean was saved by Lale after he was shot through the cheek by Elliot, but they were both captured by Singer's associates. Sean promises Singer that he will take the city back from the investors, and demands that Lale be freed to help him. In the present day, Sean calls Marian and warns her that Koba is sending men after her. She and Floriana are rescued by the Kurds, but their men are killed. Merwan, a Kurdish leader, questions Lale's dedication to the cause because of the risks she's taking to help the Wallaces. Sean asks Marian to take control of Finn's money from Floriana, but she refuses. Floriana offers to support the Kurds financially, as long as they cut the Wallaces out, but Sean kills her.
13"Episode 4"Marcela SaidDanusia Samal20 October 2022 (2022-10-20)
Luan's wife has been buried alive by Koba's men, as Ed watches on disapprovingly. Luan reassures his young daughters that she will be home soon. Luan meets with Koba, and begs for his wife's safe return. Koba tells him to bring everyone together for a meeting that night. Elliot tells Singer he wants to leave London, but Singer's plan is to put Sean in charge of London again, with Elliott watching over him, so that the investors' plans will fail. He eventually relents and allows Elliot to leave in exchange for his information. Ed goes to Danny's football match to apologise to Shannon for failing her and Alex, then takes Luan to his wife's grave to rescue her, but Koba's men arrive. Ed and Luan kill most of them, but Luan is eventually knocked out by Tamaz. Marian manages to access Floriana's accounts but much of the money is missing.
14"Episode 5" Nima Nourizadeh Rowan Athale20 October 2022 (2022-10-20)
Elliot is ready to head for Jamaica with his father but he receives a call from a frantic Shannon informing him that Ed has been captured. Elliot realises Ed has been abducted by Koba and leaves his father at the airport with Singer. Elliot infiltrates Koba's compound and brutally frees a severely injured Ed from his shackles by breaking his hand. After returning Ed to Shannon, Elliot arrives at the airport, horrified to see his father killed along with Singer. Meanwhile, Asif is furious about his losses in the previous raid, blames Koba and gives him an ultimatum from the investors: kill Sean Wallace or be killed himself. Sean receives a warning from Luan about Koba's merciless nature before his meeting with him. During the meeting, Sean shrewdly deduces Koba's plan to ambush and eliminate him. He then proposes an alliance with Sean presenting intel to bring down the investors and Koba presenting the muscle of the gangs. Koba agrees. A rageful Elliot confronts Miss Kane about his father's death. She pleas she was merely a subordinate but Elliot kills her anyway.
15"Episode 6"Nima NourizadehMeg Salter20 October 2022 (2022-10-20)
To gain Asif's trust, Koba helps him orchestrate Lale's capture (unbeknownst to Sean), in revenge for Nasir's murder. Marian has deep misgivings about Sean's alignment with Koba and brokers a meeting with Ed. It becomes clear that she is willing to depose of Sean and reinstate the Wallace-Dumani partnership, aiming to regain control of London. Elliot, still reeling from the sight of his father's body, returns to Shannon's hotel room and breaks down in front of her. She reveals that Sean is culling the investors and Elliot connects this to his father's death, vowing to kill Sean. Lale is taken to Asif's drawing room and suspended by her ankles. She lures Asif close to her and cuts him with a broken whisky snifter, allowing her to free herself. An alarm is triggered and Lale fights her way out of Asif's compound, severely injured by Asif and his fire poker. Sean finds her and brings her in.
16"Episode 7"Corin HardyRowan Athale20 October 2022 (2022-10-20)
Marian, Luan and Ed hijack Asif's heroin shipment van. Billy finds the van and is locked in by Marian after she opens up to him about her disdain to Koba. Sean and Koba travel to Paris to meet drug supplier and human trafficker Bibi Agostini, a former associate of Finn Wallace. They take Saba as a translator. Elliot, trailing Sean and Koba, intercepts Saba and reminds her how he saved her life, convincing her to plant a gun and help him get revenge. Elliot's plan to strike Sean goes awry when Saba's message about the "wrong room" does not send. Elliot subsequently fights his way out of the Parisian nightclub and Bibi calls off any deal-making with Koba and Sean, insisting they keep their conflicts in London. Elliot calls Shannon warning her to leave as their cover is blown but she refuses and instead gives away Billy's location in the locked van. Elliot arrives and chops Billy's arm off with an axe and has it sent to Marian and Sean in a box.
17"Episode 8"Corin HardyTom Butterworth20 October 2022 (2022-10-20)
Sean and Marian get into a heated argument which results in Sean strangling Marian, though he does not kill her. Elliot, using Billy as leverage, instructs Sean to kill Koba. The pair pull over at a petrol station and Sean orders Koba a burger while poisoning it. Koba eats the burger and subsequently vomits blood and dies. Ed and Shannon double-cross Marian, along with Luan, stealing Asif's heroin shipment, and gunning down Luan's men. Elliot instructs Sean to meet him alone. Before Elliot can take him out for good, Billy stabs him with a screwdriver he took from the car, allowing Sean to hit Elliot and initiate a fight. The pair brawl and Elliot emerges victorious. Elliot decides to hang Sean but when he tells him that his father would be "proud of him", he leaves a tyre for him stand on. He tells Sean he will take his place and leaves him to be arrested by the police. Billy visits Sean in prison. Asif is pushed out of his position as the head of the London gangs and hires Lale, who is revealed to be alive. Elliot takes his place at a meeting with the major gang factions. Marian attends, seemingly humbled and forced to accept the new order.

Series 3 (2025)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
18"Episode 1"Kim Hong SunPeter McKenna20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)
19"Episode 2"Kim Hong SunPeter McKenna and David Mar Stefansson 20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)
20"Episode 3" Farren Blackburn Danusia Samal20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)
21"Episode 4"Farren BlackburnTolula Dada20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)
22"Episode 5"Tessa HoffeKevin Rundle20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)
23"Episode 6"Tessa HoffeMary Fox & Marty Thornton20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)
24"Episode 7"Kim Hong SunKevin Rundle20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)
25"Episode 8"Kim Hong SunPeter McKenna20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)

Production

In an interview with Sky News in April 2020, Gareth Evans stated that while initially hired with his creative partner Matt Flannery to "make a film franchise" out of The Getaway video game series (in particular the third game, 2006 action-adventure Gangs of London, developed by London Studio), inspired by Evans' The Raid duology of action crime films, he had instead felt like "if we were going to do a film franchise, we would have two-thirds of our running time focused purely on our central characters, and then only a third left to explore the side characters that populate that world", and so on deciding that "we wouldn't do justice to the myriad of different diverse cultures and ethnicities that make up the city [I then] pitched it back saying this should be a TV show because you can afford to go off and detour for 10 to 15 minutes and spend time with other characters, and learn about them in more detail." [3] A short film adaptation of the game series had previously been in development in 2005, when The Getaway co-creator Katie Ellwood had first partnered with Amber Templemore-Finlayson, before the project entered development hell (although the duo would continue to collaborate as "Bert and Bertie"). [13] [14]

During filming, production visited St Clere Estate in Kent to stage a Traveller site and Dartford to film a speed boat scene near Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. A driving scene was also featured on Pilgrim's Way. [15] Gareth Evans also directed most of the action sequences for the first series. [16]

In June 2020, it was renewed for a for a second series, with Corin Hardy taking over as showrunner. [5] In July 2021, production on the second series had been halted for 10 days following a crew member testing positive for COVID-19. [17] Filming for the second series began on 31 May 2021 and wrapped in February 2022.

In November 2022, it was renewed for a third series, with production starting in October 2023. [8] [18]

In August 2025, it was renewed for a fourth series. [11]

Release

The first series was co-produced with the American pay network Cinemax, which was expected to air the programme alongside Sky Atlantic. However, following an announcement in January 2020 by parent company WarnerMedia that Cinemax would no longer be developing original programming, its producers began negotiating to move the series to another U.S. outlet, with Cinemax's blessing. [19] AMC took over distribution, [20] with the first series premiering on 1 October 2020 on AMC+.

The second series premiered on 20 October 2022. [7] The third series premiered on 20 March 2025. [9]

Reception

Audience viewership

The series became Sky Atlantic's second-biggest original drama launch of all time, with a 7-day cumulative audience of 2.23 million viewers for the opening episode. [21]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first series holds an approval rating of 91% based on 33 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A modern crime family masterpiece, Gangs of London builds its own empire atop tried and true mafia turf – complete with engaging drama, exhilarating action, and fine performances all around" [22] GQ said it is "a strong early contender to be the best show of the summer." [23]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the second series holds an approval rating of 81% based on 16 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Gangs of London's second series can sometimes border on a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing, but fans of the series' crunchy action and swaggering attitude ought to remain satisfied." [24]

Book

In December 2022, a graphic novel titled A Gangs of London Story: Ghosts was released and is set between the first and second series. [25] It was written by Corin Hardy and Rowan Athale and illustrated by Ferenc Nothof. [25]

Notes

  1. ↑ Gangs of London was developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as a spin-off of The Getaway , written by Brendan McNamara and Katie Ellwood, and Black Monday , written/designed by Chun Wah Kong. Mike Bambury was the writer, Naresh Hirani was the creative director, and Daniel Navarro was the game director.

References

  1. ↑ Ritman, Alex (19 March 2019). "Cinemax/Sky Series 'Gangs of London' Rounds Out Cast". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  2. ↑ Rossatron (16 February 2020). Unleashing Havoc: The Journey to Gareth Evans' New Film . Retrieved 20 January 2023– via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 Peplow, Gemma (23 April 2020). "Gangs of London: 'We spent time with undercover police – I have to be careful'". Sky News . Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Beckwith, Michael (24 April 2020). "Gangs of London is actually based on a video game – here's what it was like". Metro.co.uk . Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 White, Peter (24 June 2020). "AMC Boards Sky Drama 'Gangs of London' After HBO's Cinemax Pulls Out; Thriller Renewed for Season 2". Deadline . Archived from the original on 24 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Sky Original Gangs of London returns for a second series". www.skygroup.sky. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  7. 1 2 @skytv (23 September 2022). "Who will take London? #GangsOfLondon returns, 20 October" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. 1 2 Akinwumi, Stella (30 November 2022). "Gangs of London renewed for season 3 and fans are already buzzing". Metro . Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  9. 1 2 Elliot, Dave (26 February 2025). "Sky Reveals March Premiere Date For Gangs Of London Season 3". GeekTown. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  10. ↑ Henry, Grace (12 March 2025). "Gangs of London season 3: Release date, cast and latest news". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  11. 1 2 Kanter, Jake (21 August 2025). "Gangs Of London Renewed For Season 4". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Andrew Koji, Richard Dormer and T'Nia Miller join the third series of the explosive BAFTA-winning Sky and AMC+ Original series Gangs of London". Sky Group. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  13. ↑ Morfoot, Addie (4 January 2019). "10 Directors to Watch: Bert and Bertie Combine Forces on Underdog Comedy 'Troop Zero'". Variety . Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  14. ↑ Bert and Bertie (17 January 2020). "Bert&Bertie's Great Girl Adventure". Talkhouse . Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  15. ↑ "Kent Film Office – Gangs of London (2020) article". Kent Film Office. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  16. ↑ Jordan, Richard (20 April 2020). "The Best Gangs of London Fight Scenes and the Action Movies That Inspired Them". Den of Geek . Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  17. ↑ Kanter, Jake (23 July 2021). "'Gangs of London': Sky/AMC Series Pauses Production After Crew Member Tests Positive For Covid". Deadline . Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  18. ↑ Shafer, Ellise (17 October 2023). "'Gangs of London' Season 3 Starts Production With Director Kim Hong Sun and Writer Peter McKenna (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  19. ↑ Jurgensen, John (22 June 2020). "How the Launch of HBO Max Sidelined Cinemax". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 22 June 2020. A high-profile crime series promised for later this year, "Gangs of London," is departing the network for another buyer, according to people familiar with the negotiations. [...] In January at a press event introducing HBO Max, WarnerMedia executives said there would be no new original programming on Cinemax. [...] Within weeks, "Gangs of London" producers went looking (with Cinemax's blessing) for a new U.S. home for the thriller.
  20. ↑ Porter, Rick (24 June 2020). "AMC Boards 'Gangs of London' After Cinemax Drops Out". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  21. ↑ "Gangs of London is Sky's most-binged box set of 2020 already". Metro.co.uk . 14 May 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  22. ↑ "Gangs of London: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  23. ↑ Barrie, Thomas (24 April 2020). "Review: Gangs of London is like The Godfather, but in Spitalfields". GQ . Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  24. ↑ "Gangs of London: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  25. 1 2 Fletcher, Rosie (15 December 2022). "Gangs of London Comic Book Tells the Story of Elliot's Year. Read it Exclusively Here". Den of Geek . Retrieved 15 December 2022.
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