The Sweeney is a 2012 British action drama film, inspired by the 1970s The Sweeney, the British television police drama of the same name, but set in contemporary London. Directed and written by Nick Love, and co-written by John Hodge, it is based on the characters created by Ian Kennedy Martin. It stars Ray Winstone as Jack Regan, Ben Drew as George Carter and Damian Lewis as Frank Haskins, with Hayley Atwell and Steven Mackintosh. The story focuses on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police. The Squad's purpose is to investigate commercial armed robberies, along with the prevention and investigation of other serious armed crime. The title is derived from Sweeney Todd, which is Cockney rhyming slang for "Flying Squad". The film was released on 12 September 2012.