Guy Ritchie's Upcoming War Movie Reverses 1 Actor's Quentin Tarantino Role From 15 Years Ago

Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare features an actor in a role that perfectly subverts a character from a 15-year-old Quentin Tarantino film. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is based on a true story, and the rag-tag protagonists featured in the movie will work together to fight oppressive Nazi forces throughout Nazi-occupied Europe. Although The Ministry of Ungentemanly Warfare‘s cast is stacked with talent ranging from Henry Cavill to Reacher‘s Alan Ritchson, one actor in the upcoming historical spy action comedy has the distinction of working with auteurs Ritchie and Tarantino.

Although The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare could be Ritchie’s most violent movie, it also boasts plenty of humor, as typically seen throughout the vast majority of Ritchie’s filmography. The Sherlock Holmes movies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, perfectly demonstrate Ritchie’s familiarity with directing period pieces. However, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare will blend real-life events with fictional storytelling, which replicates a similar filmmaking trick that Tarantino employs. Interestingly, one actor in Ritchie’s upcoming movie will play a character who is the polar opposite of his character in one of Tarantino’s most acclaimed films.

Til Schweiger’s Role As Heinrich Luhr In The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Reverses His Role As Hugo Stiglitz In Inglourious Basterds

Heinrich Is A Nazi, And Hugo Is A Prolific Nazi Hunter

Til Schweiger will star in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare as a high-ranking Nazi named Heinrich Luhr, one of the many targets that the Special Operations Executive is bound and committed to neutralizing. Whether this was the intention behind the casting choice or not, it’s worth pointing out that the role is the complete opposite of Schweiger’s Hugo Stiglitz character from Tarantino’s critically acclaimed Inglourious Basterds. While details regarding Schweiger’s Heinrich are limited, he’s characterized as a charming, yet utterly ruthless Nazi German. However, Hugo is not only a man of few words, but in staunch opposition to the Nazis’ goals.

Considering The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare partially tells the story of Special Operations Executive, a covert British World War II organization formed in 1940 by then Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s insistence, and their efforts to take down as many Nazis as possible, it stands to reason that Heinrich will be one of the more prominent and influential antagonists in the movie. Hugo, on the other hand, was a supporting character who had little dialogue and characterization beyond killing Nazis. Nevertheless, Hugo is one of the more memorable characters from Inglourious Basterds, and Schweiger’s role in both movies invites comparisons.

Are The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare And Inglourious Basterds Connected?

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare And Inglourious Basterds Are Connected Thematically.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and Inglourious Basterds are not connected narratively speaking, but they do share many stylistic similarities. Both movies feature rag-tag groups fighting Nazis during WWII, and take creative liberties with historical facts. However, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is loosely inspired by the 2014 Damien Lewis book, Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII, and Inglourious Basterds is inspired by the countless attempts to assassinate Hitler. While both movies cover similar themes of overcoming oppression, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare favors comedy over Inglourious Basterds‘ more tense narrative.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a World War II film following a top-secret combat unit who were formed by Winston Churchill to hunt down Nazis. The film is directed by Guy Ritchie and based on the book The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops by Damien Lewis.

Release Date

April 19, 2024

Studio(s)

Black Bear , Jerry Bruckheimer Films , Toff Guy Films

Cast

Henry Cavill , Eiza González , Alan Ritchson , Alex Pettyfer , Hero Fiennes Tiffin , Babs Olusanmokun , Til Schweiger , Henry Golding , Cary Elwes , Henrique Zaga

Runtime

120 Minutes