In the trailer for Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, Giancarlo Esposito’s Stanley Johnston says, “People either survive in the jungle or exist in the zoo.”

Now, with the first 10 minutes of The Gentlemen’s series premiere above, you can see the inciting incident in a series of unfortunate events that will suck Eddie Horniman (Theo James) into said jungle. In the show’s opening scene, Eddie receives grim news that summons him to his father’s estate alongside his family, including his older brother, Freddy (Daniel Ings). Little does Eddie know, his life as a British Army captain is about to be superseded by a monumental set of responsibilities.

“We’re introduced to Eddie Horniman, and he’s a captain with the Queen’s Dragoons,” James tells Tudum. “At the time, he’s working for the UN and he’s on border patrol. He’s affable, friendly, liked by his troops — a contained man. Ahmed rolls up, and that’s bad news for Edward, who finds out that his father, who he hasn’t seen for many years, is on death’s door.”

Upon returning home, Eddie’s world is upended following his father’s death. After the funeral, where Eddie spots the enigmatic Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario) for the first time, the family gathers for a reading of their patriarch’s last will and testament and are shocked by its contents. 

“The will is read, and unbeknownst to any of the family, Edward, who is clearly the most capable of the family, inherits the estate over his eldest brother, who is, shall we say, extremely angry about the situation,” says James. “The story goes from there.”

Specifically, Eddie quickly learns his family’s estate is part of a criminal weed empire, which brings him into contact with Susie. Can Eddie extract the family from this enterprise or will he be drawn further into the underworld? Answering that question is part of the fun of the show. 

“It’s a sojourn into aristocrats meeting the world of gangsters,” said Ritchie  — who created the show, co-wrote it with EP Matthew Read, and directed the first two episodes — in a behind-the-scenes featurette. “That’s really what the show is about — the evolution from zoo to jungle, and how to hunt in the jungle and survive.”

If you’re a fan of Ritchie’s work, you’ll be delighted and surprised by what comes next. As Scodelario tells Tudum, “What makes it a Guy Ritchie show is that it’s fast-paced, the editing is smooth and interesting, the cuts are sharp, and the story comes at you.”

The Gentlemen arrives on Netflix March 7.

The Gentlemen Trailer