King of Thieves

King of Thieves is a 2018 British crime film based on the Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary of 2015. Directed by James Marsh, the film stars Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon, Charlie Cox, Jim Broadbent, Paul Whitehouse and Ray Winstone.

A professional thief in his younger years, 77-year-old widower Brian Reader pulls together a band of aging criminals to plot an unprecedented burglary at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit. The thieves, all but one in their 60s and 70s, employ their old-school skills to plan the heist over the Easter holiday weekend. Posing as gas repairmen, they enter the deposit building, deactivate the alarms, and proceed to drill a hole into the wall of the strongroom. Two days later, they manage to escape with allegedly over £14 million in stolen jewels and money. When the crime is discovered, the police investigation starts, followed by a frenzy of publicity and media speculation as to those responsible.

Cracks between the misfit gang members begin to show as they argue over how to share the goods, and they become increasingly distrustful of each other. Brian is excluded by the group and, not realising the true value of the haul, the gang makes several mistakes. These help the police to identify, track, and finally arrest the gang members, with only the younger Basil evading arrest and escaping the country. All the others are remanded in custody and await their trial with equanimity.

The main bulk of the scenes were filmed in central London and around Margate, Kent, including scenes at the Wig and Pen Pub, the Nayland Rock Hotel, Harbour Arm in Margate, outside the Turner Contemporary, and a scene at Margate railway station. Abbott's Cliff in Dover can also be spotted in the train scene where Brian Reader (Michael Caine) travels to Margate.

Casting

• Michael Caine as Brian Reader
• Jim Broadbent as Terry Perkins
• Tom Courtenay as John Kenny Collins
• Charlie Cox as Basil/Michael Seed
• Paul Whitehouse as Carl Wood
• Michael Gambon as Billy "The Fish" Lincoln
• Ray Winstone as Danny Jones
• Francesca Annis as Lynne Reader