The Sweeney with a French accent

The gang’s all here: Jean Reno takes on the baddies in The Sweeney: Paris Photo: Unifrance

It was one of the finest British TV series of the 1970s. Now The Sweeney receives a French twist from director Benjamin Rocher with Gallic action icon Jean Reno assuming the Ray Winstone role and returning to the fray on the mean streets of Paris.

Orginally titled Antigang in France and then The Squad and now, blatantly, The Sweeney: Paris it is based on the cinema remake by Nick Love made in 2012.

Rocher who made his reputation on horror films La Horde in 2009 and Goal Of The Dead (2014), mixing soccer and zombies, was keen to pay homage to the Die Hard and Lethal Weapon series from the 1980s, which combined elements of comedy with the suspense.

During the Rendez-vous with French Cinema in Paris earlier in the year, Rocher told me: “The producers brought me the film of the series. I watched it and said I would like to keep the structure but do something completely different on the inside. So I preserved the basic recipe but added my own ingredients.

Director Benjamin Rocher: 'I preserved the basic recipe but added my own ingredients' Photo: Richard Mowe

“I had a reputation for delivering good production values on a very small budget. The producers thought it if they gave me a bit more money I would be able to do something spectacular. I am not a typically French director. I think the flavour is French with a French icon in Jean Reno and cultural references and, of course, it is set in Paris and is in French.”

Reno whom Rocher believes has gone out of fashion from his hey day, was already attached to the project. “Maybe his reputation has become tarnished because of his close links to [ex-President] Nicolas Sarkozy and because he is now older. He is interesting to watch and film: I wanted to have a cop who was out of his tme and at odds with his environment and in a way that reflects Reno’s relationship with action cinema in France today. Reno was the only star with a legendary status to play around with,” said Rocher.

He believes the role gave the actor a part that was different from anything he had attempted previously. “He was surrounded by young actors in an ensemble piece with fast-paced production values. What I liked in the action films from the Eighties was the sense of fun alongside the suspense. There are no French films quite like that and I wanted to craft one.”

Rocher, a big fan of the likes of Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino, whom he recognises as “geeks just like myself,” did not want to forget about French cinema’s glorious past in the genre of thrillers. “I would hope that my style also pays homage to the traditions and heritage of French cinema which is part of my DNA and I wanted to make a bridge between eras,” he added.

He studied art and design in college rather than the traditional route through film school. When he had the opportunity to do a graduation short film he decided this was the way ahead. He continues to work as an art director on TV series including an action example currently filming in Morocco and is developing some original ideas for the cinema as well as pondering offers as a director for hire.

“I accept that cinema is an industry, you have a budget and you have to stick to it. I work very fast – Antigang was was shot in 38 days without any second unit. I know all about costings and what can be achieved. Everyone seemed happy with the end result but I’m curious about the reaction to it in the UK.”

The Sweeney: Paris on release in the UK from 15 April