FAGS, SLAGS AND BLAGS! THE RETURN OF 'THE SWEENEY'

In to battle with the new SWEENEY: Ben Drew and Ray Winstone. Image: VERTIGO FILMS.

"We're the Sweeney, son. And we haven't had any dinner!"

Often imitated but never bettered, the gritty, iconic and influential seventies ITV series THE SWEENEY, starring the irrepressibly realistic and much loved portrayals by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman as The Flying Squad's top coppers, Regan and Carter respectively, remains the kipper tied, flare streaking, villain beating granddaddy of all British police drama series. Though an early nineties spin-off featuring the return of Dennis Waterman as Carter sadly never materialised, a new re-imagined version of the Ian Kennedy Martin created series will soon be shooting and shouting its way onto cinema screens in the not too distant future (possibly September), with everyone's favourite cockney actor, Ray Winstone, primarily best known for his portrayal of anti-heroes or characters living and operating within the deeper shades of grey, in the likes of TV's ROBIN OF SHERWOOD (where he was the violent headcase with a heart, Will Scarlet) and his popular detective series VINCENT, as well as in hit films like SEXY BEAST, 44 INCH CHEST and NIL BY MOUTH, bravely taking on the role of Regan in the much anticipated modernised movie from VERTIGO FILMS, brought bang up to date with what will hopefully be both style and substance from popular rising star British director Nick Love, who handled the glossy and enjoyable eighties Brits in Spain crime drama THE BUSINESS and the controversial football hooligan saga THE FOOTBALL FACTORY.

Aiding the reliable and always watchable Winstone is a relative newcomer to acting, but not to the entertainment world in general, Ben Drew (best known by his name as the singer Plan B), who'll playing the young and street-wise thief taker Carter, soon becoming Regan's most trusted friend and crime fighter. The film, which will also star CAPTAIN AMERICA actress Hayley Atwell, HOMELAND'S Damian Lewis (here playing Regan's boss) and Steven Waddington, from a script by Love and John Hodge, looks set to continue the original TV series pen chance for atmospheric location shooting across London, and will surely boast the heavy violence, car chases and gun play that made the original so beloved (it looks like the film will indeed open with an intense robbery gone wrong/ shooting battle between Regan and robbers across the streets of West End London (The Sweeney 2012 - YouTube). A long time coming, and almost cancelled due to numerous budgetary obstacles that had to be overcome (you'd think that the project, with all its prior success, would be a strong gamble worth taking by investors!), to say that this new version of THE SWEENEY is anticipated by the original series intrigued fans, both old and new, would be an understatement!

The original seventies SWEENEY duo: Dennis Waterman as Carter and John Thaw as Regan. Image: ITV/FREEMANTLE MEDIA.

Let's truly hope that this lives up to the potential for a franchise series of great British genre films, to match previous crime saga gems like the aforementioned SEXY BEAST and the classic THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY...