Craig Fairbrass hinted that the upcoming Rise of the Footsoldier movie will be more action-packed and ambitious than previous installments in the British crime series, playfully suggesting it’s the closest he’ll get to starring in a James Bond-style film.
The actor best known for playing the infamous gangster Pat Tate is back for the seventh movie in the series, titled Rise of the Footsoldier: Redemption.
As LEGEND gets ready to air the first five movies, actor Craig Fairbrass told TopMob that the newest film—where Pat travels to Ibiza seeking revenge for a friend’s death—will be the most ambitious one so far.
He explained that ‘Rise of the Footsoldier: Redemption’ was their most ambitious project yet. Filming was challenging, taking place in three different countries, but they successfully completed it. The post-production process, including visual effects, took a year and a half.
Each of these movies is unique if you examine them carefully. They cover a wide range of genres – comedy, thriller, even intense action. For example, ‘The Pat Tate Story’ was particularly gritty, and that really highlights how distinct they all are.
This film has a lot of intense, fast-paced action. Honestly, it’s the closest thing I’ve made to a James Bond movie so far.
“It was a lot of fun to make, but seriously hard.”
James Fairbrass first portrayed the character Tate in the 2007 film Rise of the Footsoldier. The movie was based on the true story of the Rettendon murders, a 1995 case where three men were found dead inside a Range Rover in Essex.
Thinking back to when I first heard about this case, it really stuck with me. I grew up in East London, and I remember driving my kids to school when the news broke on the radio – something about three men being murdered in a Range Rover. It was shocking, and honestly, it’s stayed with me ever since.
I was struck by how unusual it was – a deliberate, cold-blooded murder like the one that happened in Essex. It really captured my attention.
“So many people said to me, ‘If they ever did a film about that, you’d be a great Pat Tate.’
I was filming ‘White Noise’ in the US when I heard I was being considered for a role. After I returned home to London, I met with the team at Carnaby and the film’s writer and director, Julian Gilbey, who then shared the script with me.
I have such fond memories of making that movie – we were practically falling over with laughter the whole time! It was genuinely a really enjoyable experience.
Fairbrass’s portrayal of his character was a key part of what made the first movie so memorable. It led to more films focusing on the same story, like ‘Rise of the Footsoldier 3: The Pat Tate Story’.
Honestly, I felt like I really nailed my role in the first movie. My character really resonated with people – I kept hearing from everyone that they wanted to see a whole film dedicated to Tate, this wild, unpredictable guy. It was amazing to hear they connected with him so much!
About ten years later, they approached me with a proposal. They’d studied what worked and what didn’t in similar projects, and were interested in making a film about Pat Tate. They asked if I’d be willing to get involved.
The film was a huge success. It became one of Sky’s most popular titles ever, and remains a beloved installment in the series. Audiences really connected with the character of Pat, and the film as a whole resonated strongly, quickly gaining a large following.
Read more: Craig Fairbrass almost quit Footsoldier films – until new sequel lured him back
The show has become one of the longest-running and most popular crime series in the UK. Actor Colin Fairbrass believes this is due to stories based on real events, dramatic twists, and a dedicated fanbase.
Everything we’ve created is based on real events from the characters’ lives. We then added creative details, exaggerated parts, and used dramatic freedom to make it more exciting for the audience.
Films wouldn’t exist without the support of the fans. This crime series is the most successful of its kind in British history. We’re releasing a seventh film in September on 200 screens, with a broad release planned, and we’ve already secured significant international sales at the Cannes Film Festival.
People have always loved crime movies, especially British ones focusing on gangsters. When these films are done well – and we believe we’ve achieved that – audiences really connect with them and enjoy them a lot.
I’ve always felt like this audience doesn’t get enough attention, because there just aren’t many films made for them. This genre is really something special – when the story is good, it completely pulls you in and you can’t look away. We really achieved that with Footsoldier, and it’s still amazing to me that we ended up making seven of them!
If you want to refresh your memory of the series before Craig Fairbrass reprises his role as Tate, you can watch the original five Rise of the Footsoldier movies on LEGEND.
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You can watch the Rise of the Footsoldier movies on LEGEND, starting Friday, June 19th at 10:55 PM. Find LEGEND on Sky channel 148, Virgin Media channel 149, Freeview channel 41, and Freesat channel 137.
Authors
As a huge cinema and TV fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the people who curate what we see. I know Morgan Jeffery well – he’s currently the Digital Editor for TopMob, meaning he’s in charge of all their online content. Before that, he was the TV Editor at Digital Spy, and he’s even appeared as a TV expert on shows like BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio 5 Live, and Sky Atlantic! He really knows his stuff.
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2026-06-16 14:36