Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan are set to feature in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming Paramount+ series,The Associate– an exciting onscreen partnership that secretly pays of an unconnected 43-year-old gangster drama. Guy Ritchie hasquietly become one of Hollywood’s busiest filmmakers, withThe Associaterepresenting the latest chapter in his career. Despite starting life as aRay Donovanspinoff entitledThe Donovans, the series will now tell a standalone story– as well as providing a surprising connection to one of the best-known gangster movies in British film history.
The Associate’sstory will follow two generations of gangsters, withPierce Brosnan and Helen Mirrenplaying the patriarch and matriarch of an important crime family. Brosnan and Mirren’s collaboration is hugely exciting, given their status in the industry. However, it also represents a reunion, 43 years after their collaboration inThe Long Good Friday. Similar to Ritchie’s project,The Long Good Fridaycenters around a crime boss and his ploy to take control of multiple groups. However, whereMirren and Brosnan barely shared the screen together in the 1980 movie,The Associatewill provide far more screen time for the duo.
Pierce Brosnan & Helen Mirren Will Star In The Associate 43 Years After Appearing In A Gangster Movie Together
The Stars Have Worked Together More Recently In A Netflix Film Too
Mirren and Brosnan’sThe Associatecharacters will share some considerable similarities with the 1980 movie,The Long Good Friday. In both projects, the pair are involved in an underground crime family. While details ofThe Associateare still limited, it can be expected that the dynamics will be somewhat similar,withthemes of betrayal and internal power struggles. However, Brosnan is expected to have a much larger role, with him actively involved within, rather than working against the crime family’s forces.
Pierce Brosnan has only one line of dialogue throughoutThe Long Good Friday’s1h 54m runtime.
The pair’s connection withinThe Long Good Friday’s narrative derives from Brosnan’s characterholding a grudge against Mirren’s on-screen husband, played by Bob Hoskins, as he seeks to form a partnership with the American Mafia. However, whileThe Long Good Fridayfirmly places both Brosnan and Mirren within the gangster filmmaking tradition, Brosnan’s role is so minute that he never really gets a chance to shine. Having both Brosnan and Mirren share the limelight inThe Associatewill finally give them both the billing they deserve, realizingThe Long Good Friday’s potential after 43 years.
The Associate Proves How Much Pierce Brosnan’s Career Has Changed Since The Long Good Friday
Brosnan Was Still In The Very Early Stages Of His Career In 1980
Helen Mirren was the star ofThe Long Good Friday, whereas Brosnan’s role was inconsequential in comparison. In fact, Brosnan’s character in the 1980 crime film isn’t even credited with a name, but is rather just referred to as an IRA operative. This is mostly due to Mirren’s career having taken off by this point, whereas Brosnan was still somewhat obscure. It was not until the mid-90s and his casting as James Bond that Brosnan reached new heights of stardom.
Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan will star in roles on equal ground inThe Associateafter four decades.
Brosnan has subsequently become a major screen presence, with appearances in four of the James Bond movies from 1995 to 2002, as well as a leading role in Abba’s beloved $1 billion franchise,Mamma Mia.The Associateshowcases the heights that his career has reached sinceBrosnan’s first role inThe Long Good Friday. The fact that Brosnan and Mirren will be on a level playing field with their roles inThe Associatedemonstrates the extent to which Brosnan’s star has risen since 1980.
