GUY RITCHIE directed the smash hit "Sherlock Holmes," which opened on Christmas Day 2009 and went on to gross more than $516 million worldwide. Successfully bringing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed detective to the big screen for a new generation, the acclaimed film starred Robert Downey Jr. in the title role and Jude Law as Dr. Watson.
Prior to "Sherlock Holmes," Ritchie wrote, directed and produced the widely praised crime comedy "RocknRolla," featuring an international ensemble cast, including Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Jeremy Piven and Chris Bridges. The film premiered at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival before opening in the UK at the top of the box office. "RocknRolla" went on to win the Empire Award for Best British Film.
Ritchie partnered with Lionel Wigram to form a new production company, which has a first-look deal with Warner Bros. He also has several writing and directing projects in development, including the epic "The Siege of Malta," as well as "The Gamekeeper," based on a Virgin comic book series he created.
Born in London, Ritchie started in the UK film industry in 1993 as a runner on Wardour Street. He worked his way up the ranks to directing music videos and commercials before writing and directing his first short film, "The Hard Case," in 1995.
Ritchie made his writing and directing feature film debut with "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels." Made on a modest budget of $1 million, the film became one of the UK's biggest box office hits and made its U.S. premiere at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. The London Film Critics Circle named Ritchie the British Screenwriter of the Year for the feature, which also received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best British Film. "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" also went on to spawn a series of British gangster flicks and helped launch the Hollywood careers of several British actors, including Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones and Jason Flemyng.
Ritchie followed with the 2000 hit "Snatch," which he wrote and directed. The film featured an ensemble cast, including Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina, Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, Alan Ford, Lennie James and Benicio Del Toro. In addition to being a box office success, "Snatch" also brought Ritchie an Empire Award for Best British Director, firmly establishing him as a new visionary in the film industry.
Following "Snatch," Ritchie co-wrote and directed "Swept Away," a remake of the 1974 Italian classic "Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto." The romantic comedy starred Madonna, Adrianno Giannini, Bruce Greenwood, Elizabeth Banks and Jeanne Tripplehorn.
Ritchie continued to explore new challenges with the edgy crime thriller "Revolver," which premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore and Outkast's Andre Benjamin starred in the film, which was later released in the U.S. in December 2007.
In addition to Ritchie's feature film work, he has helmed a number of acclaimed shorts. He directed "Star," a short film featured in Series 1 of the popular BMW series "The Hire." He also collaborated with Nike to create the short "Take It to the Next Level," which follows the rise of an up-and-coming Dutch footballer and featured some of the industry's best players. The project brought Ritchie a Golden Lion at the 2008 Cannes International Advertising Festival.
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