Rupert Grint transforms into a hustler for Crackle's 'Snatch'
"Gangster" and "Hustler" aren't usually labels that one would place on Rupert Grint.
But that's kind of why the actor, who rose to fame with his role as Ron in the Harry Potter franchise, was drawn to the role of Charlie in Crackle's new series Snatch.
"He isn't a natural gangster," Grint said. "He struggles to find his place in that world but tries really hard. He's constantly trying to justify himself."
The 10-episode show, which Grint also executive produced, follows a group of 20-something, up-and-coming hustlers in London who stumble upon a truckload of stolen gold bullion and are suddenly thrust into the high-stakes world of organized crime.
Crackle adapted the series from the 2000 film of the same name directed and written by Guy Ritchie.
Grint loves the "stylized punchy dialogue" of the film.
"To me it's a cult classic," he said. "It felt very new in the way it was shot at the time. [My character] Charlie is a completely new character [in the TV series] and it's a completely new world. Which is really the only way you could recreate the essence of Snatch."
For the TV version, Alex De Rakoff came aboard as showrunner.
Crackle also assembled an all-star ensemble cast featuring Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl) as Sonny Castillo, Luke Pasqualino (Skins) as Albert Hill, Lucien Laviscount (Scream Queens) as Billy Ayres, Dougray Scott (Fear the Walking Dead) as Vic Hill, Phoebe Dynevor (The Village) as Lotti Mott and Juliet Aubrey (The Infiltrator) as Lily Hill.
Grint, Pasqualino and Laviscount all said they were big fans of the movie version, and immediately knew they wanted to be attached to a TV spin-off.
"We’ve been given the opportunity to tell a story that was told over an hour and a half,"Pasqualino said. "But we get to tell it over 10 episodes of serial TV. I think that was a huge, huge pull for me."
"I had heard massive rumblings about this show being made and really wanted to be part of it in some sort of the way," Laviscount added. "And after reading the first episode it was just a given. I would have jumped in it on any ay physically possible."
"I was a huge fan of the film and thought the scripts were fantastic," Grint added. "They have the essence of the film whilst having a completely new storyline."
Check out Mashable's sneak peek clip below:
The show debuts on Crackle March 16.
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
