Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer have Style in First Look at 'The Man from UNCLE'

There have been so many troubled blockbusters over the last couple of years that it's easy to overlook The Man from UNCLE, Warner Bros.' adaptation of the cult spy TV series from the 1960s.  Let's not forget that George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh were once attached to the project before dropping out, leaving the studio in a funk on how to proceed. Tom Cruise was briefly on board to star, also, but he too left. Finally Warner Bros. went the safe route, bringing in Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie and Man of Steel's Henry Cavill to join co-star Armie Hammer. While the film may lack the luster it once did, the first image promises it will be a stylish affair.

Cavill, Hammer, and Alicia Vikander capture the look of the swingin' '60s in these shot, relaxing with a drink after what must have been a tough mission. They play American spy Napoleon Solo (Cavill) and the KGB's Illya Kuryakin (Hammer) who are part of a joint effort to stop a global terrorist organization during the height of the Cold War.

Hopefully this means a trailer is on the way. The Man from UNCLE opens August 14th 2015.

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Hugh Grant Joins 'The Man from UNCLE'

Other than playing a half dozen different characters in last year's Cloud Atlas, we haven't seen very much of Hugh Grant lately. He's only starred in four movies over the last seven years, most of them forgettable (it's a problem when Music & Lyrics is a highlight), and basically it's become a special occasion to see him on screen. So it's kind of a big deal that he's taken on a major studio film with franchise potential, joining Guy Ritchie's The Man from UNCLE.

Instantly becoming the most senior member of a young cast that includes Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, and Elizabeth Debicki, Grant will play the head of British Naval Intelligence in the remake of the cult favorite TV series. Cavill plays American spy Napoleon Solo, with Hammer as his partner Illya Kuryakin, who battle the forces of global terrorist organization, THRUSH.

Just how closely Ritchie and co-writer Lionel Wigram will stick to TV show's groundwork is unclear. But considering Ritchie and Wigram's Sherlock Holmes has practically nothing to do with detective work, we can probably deduce (like Holmes himself!!) that espionage won't be all that important in The Man from UNCLE.  It's an unexpected move for Grant, who will next revert back to rom-com mode for an untitled film with Marisa Tomei and directed by Marc Lawrence.

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'The Great Gatsby' Star Elizabeth Debicki Joins 'The Man From UNCLE'

Beyond the pomp and the glittery and the audacity of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, there were also a number of significant acting performances. Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan justifiably shared the bulk of the attention, but there was one that stood out most for me, and that was newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as the vain but knowing golf pro, Jordan Baker. Fortunately, it appears that others took notice of how good she was, because now she's landed a major franchise gig.

Debicki will play a femme fatale in Guy Ritchie's The Man from UNCLE, a troubled big screen remake of the cult fave TV series about a fictional spy organization's battle against a global terrorist outfit. Once with big names Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney attached, the film has undergone a complete overhaul in favor of a youth movement. Warner Bros. has chosen their Man of Steel star Henry Cavill for the role of American spy Napoleon Solo, with Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) and Alicia Vikander (A Royal Affair) co-starring.

Variety says the tone will be "fairly serious", with script credit going to Ritchie and co-writer Lionel Wigram. Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) had written a previous draft but it sounds as if little of it remains. Filming is set to begin next month for relase some time in 2014, which means there will need to be a quick turnaround so Cavill can suit up for Superman's tangle with Batman.

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Rose Byrne May Join 'Annie' and 'The Man from UNCLE' ; Jeff Wadlow to 'Go Fast'

* Rose Byrne is in talks to join the big screen Annie remake, which has Will Smith and Jay-Z on board as producers. Quvenzhane Wallis is set to play the famous orphan, with Jamie Foxx as Benjamin Stacks, a version of Daddy Warbucks. Byrne would play his assistant, and Cameron Diaz is also co-starring in the Will Gluck-directed musical.

Byrne is also being sought for a role in Guy Ritchie's The Man from UNCLE, based on the spy TV series. The film has had trouble securing big name stars, but seems to have settled on Henry Cavill as American agent Napoleon Solo, Armie Hammer as Illya Kuryakin, and Alicia Vikander in a supporting role. But the changes have led to a budget slash, and producers may have trouble signing Byrne. [THR]



* Jeff Wadlow is on something of a roll right now, and it doesn't seem to be easing up. In fact, it's about to go a lot faster. Wadlow has Kick-Ass 2 coming up this summer, and he's penning Fox's X-Force. Now he's set to direct Go Fast, which is described as Fast & Furious with speed boats. Seriously. If it works for cars, why not boats? Quite the on-the-nose title though, right? Clearly going for a Speed vibe. [Deadline]

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Henry Cavill replaces Tom Cruise in 'The Man from UNCLE'

How much confidence does Warner Bros. have not only in Man of Steel, but in its star, Henry Cavill? With Tom Cruise suddenly dropping out of Guy Ritchie's The Man from UNCLE in order to invest his energies in Mission: Impossible 5, the studio was suddenly without an A-lister to front the film, which has had more than its share of casting trouble already. So it's a sign of their utter faith in Cavill that he's the guy they want to step in and fill Cruise's shoes.

Cavill has entered talks to take the lead role of American spy Napoleon Solo in the big screen take on the 1960s TV series. He'll join fellow fast-rising stars Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander as agents from the titular espionage agency battling the threat of THRUSH, a global terrorist outfit. The studio must love Cavill at this point, as they had been looking at him to co-star in Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea opposite Chris Hemsworth.

This marks a drastic tone shift for the film, though, as Cruise could have been seen as the veteran spy with Hammer as his younger protege. Now this is definitely skewing for the youth demographic, which should make Warner Bros. happy as they have clear franchise hopes for it. Cavill has come a long way for an actor most are still unfamiliar with, and is basically unproven as a box office star. His two biggest films so far were Tarsem Singh's Immortals, and the largely-unseen action film The Cold Light of Day opposite Bruce Willis. [Variety]

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Alicia Vikander takes the female lead in 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'

After taking on a pair of period pieces in A Royal Affair and Anna Karenina, Alicia Vikander is primed for a major breakout. Recently having wrapped up Wikileaks film The Fifth Estate opposite Benedict Cumberbatch, and having been in the running for Disney's Cinderella, the talented Swedish actress is now landing her first studio tentpole, and it'll be opposite none other than Tom Cruise.

Vikander has landed the female lead in The Man from UNCLE, Guy Ritchie's big screen adaptation of the cult favorite 1960s spy TV series. She'll play a British spy with an affiinity for cars, with Cruise as American agent Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer as a version of Russian spy Illya Kuryakin. They work for the titular espionage organization battling a global terrorist outfit known as THRUSH. Her character is said to be a new one and not related to the show or the brief spinoff, The Girl from UNCLE, which if you ever saw it was pretty friggin' awful.

Just a couple of days ago, Vikander signed up to play the robotic fembot in Alex Garland's Ex Machina, so she's keeping plenty busy as she climbs up the Hollywood ladder. [THR]

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Armie Hammer joins Tom Cruise in 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'

Warner Bros. has run into a few problems trying to mount a remake to the 1960s spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., once having the top tier trio of Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, and writer Scott Z. Burns on board. Creative differences over casting led Soderbergh to drop out, only to be replaced by Guy Ritchie, who the studio trusts implicitly after two successful Sherlock Holmes films. Tom Cruise began circling the lead agent role last month, and now not only has he been confirmed, but Armie Hammer will be joining him.

This completely a pretty incredible run for Hammer that has seen him working alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar, and Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger. Cruise will be playing American spy Napoleon Solo, with Hammer as "a version" of Russian agent Illya Kuryakin. The show starred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as agents for an espionage and law enforcement agency who take on an evil organization known as THRUSH.

Playing sidekick to a number of A-listers has worked wonders for Hammer, who had his breakout in The Social Network as the Winklevoss twins. With Cruise's schedule it's unclear when this will roll in front of cameras, but expect Warner Bros. to want to get moving quickly. [Deadline]

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Tom Cruise in talks for Guy Ritchie's 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'

Warner Bros. has been trying unsuccessfully to get a big screen version of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. going for three years. Once a project helmed by Steven Soderbergh with George Clooney as one of the leads, the director dropped out when the studio was less than thrilled with his picks of Michael Fassbender or Joel Kinnaman to co-star. Clooney also left, and the project was picked up by Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie. Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling were floated as possibilities to replace Clooney, but nothing concrete has been heard since.

It would be another chance for Cruise to revive another 1960s spy series, just as he's done with Mission: Impossible. While 'Ghost Protocol' proved to be a huge hit, Cruise has struggled to capitalize on it, although Deadline suggests that Jack Reacher may have earned enough worldwide to warrant a sequel.  He'll be seen next in two straight science fiction offerings: Joseph Kosinski's Oblivion, then Doug Liman's All You Need is Kill, Warner Bros. having approached Cruise after the latter film wrapped.

'U.N.C.L.E.' ran from 1964-68, and starred Robert Vaughn and David McCollum as a pair of secret agents, one American and one Russian, who helped prevent international threats. Their main nemesis was a global criminal organization known as THRUSH. The show was more campy than Mission: Impossible, and under Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns it would have relied heavily on the time period, probably in a similar fashion as their film The Informant! But with Ritchie at the helm now, all bets are off as to the approach he'll take.

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Steven Soderbergh drops out of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Holy cats. You take half a day off to check out a couple movies and all heck beaks loose. One of the most anticipated movies of the coming year, Warner Brothers' remake of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., is basically starting from scratch now, as The Playlist reports Steven Soderbergh has dropped out of directing it. Along with his writing partner, Scott Z. Burns(Contagion), Soderbergh had been planning this film for well over a year, initially bringing in George Clooney to take on the lead role of American spy Napoleon Solo. He eventually dropped out due to injuries, and casting has been hell ever since, which appears to be the crux of the problem.

The site says that Soderbergh and the studio have been haggling over casting and a final budget for awhile now, with both sides unable to come to an agreement. With Clooney out of the picture, WB wanted to go young. Soderbergh initially wanted Joel Kinnaman(The Darkest Hour) and Michael Fassbender, but that never panned out, perhaps because they weren't considered big enough names, A slew of other possibilities cropped up, everyone from Johnny Depp to Matt Damon. It seemed like Bradley Cooper or Joel Edgerton had it nailed, but it appears offers were never actually made.

Just a few days ago, Channing Tatum was said to have entered the picture, a logical move considering Soderbergh's familiarity with the young actor, but in light of the director's departure that's not likely to happen now.  With his "retirement" right around the corner, Soderbergh still wants to pick up a film to shoot during the timeframe he would have spent on U.N.C.L.E. 

His next film, Haywire, hits theaters next January.

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Channing Tatum the frontrunner to star in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Should've seen this coming. Steven Soderbergh has proven over the years that he likes to maintain a certain circle of friends he works with on a frequent basis. Most recently, the newest addition to his clique has been Channing Tatum. Not only will he co-star in Soderbergh's Haywire next year, but the duo recently finished filming the stripper flick, Magic Mike. And now it looks like Tatum will take over one of the two leads in Soderbergh's spy spoof, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.


There's been so much turnaround on this flick that it's getting hard to keep track. Basically George Clooney was set to star as American spy, Napoleon Solo, but had to drop out due to injury. Bradley Cooper emerged as the frontrunner to replace him, but as was reported just a few days ago that is no longer the case. Tatum seems like the logical choice to play Solo, and has met with Soderbergh to talk about it. Deadline reports that no official offer has been made, but Warner Brothers is on board with the decision, and it's looking like a done deal.

That would still leave the other lead, that of Russian agent Ilya Kuryakin. Joel Edgerton was mentioned to be in line for it, but that looks to have fallen through. Whether that means Edgerton has chosen to be in Noam Murro's 300: Battle of Artemisia is anybody's guess right now. Hopefully it means he'll still be a part of Kathryn Bigelow's Kill Bin Laden.

The script by Scott Z. Burns(Contagion) is going to keep the adventures of U.N.C.L.E. firmly planted in the 1960s, detailing the global security force's battle with the terrorist organization known as T.H.R.U.S.H.

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Joel Edgerton to star in Steven Soderbergh's The Man From U.N.C.L.E.?

It's been a busy day for Joel Edgerton, what with him being mentioned as a possibility to star in Noam Murro's 300: Battle of Artemisia. Now the Aussie actor is up to star in another major franchise film, although this one is infinitely more promising, as it'll give him a chance to work with Steven Soderbergh.

Vulture says Edgerton has been offered a starring role as Russian agent Illya Kuryakin in Soderbergh's take on the 1960s TV show, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Bradley Cooper was recently offered the other lead, that of American spy Napoleon Solo, a role which George Clooney had to abandon due to lingering back problems.

So what does a guy do? The story says Edgerton will probably only be able to do one film, so he has to choose between 300 or this. Hmmmm...Noam Murro? Or Steven Soderbergh? It seems like an easy choice, right? Well, 300 would probably be the bigger box office hit, which means Edgerton could get the same sort of bump that Gerard Butler got. But U.N.C.L.E. would be more of a prestige flick, which gives him a chance to add names like Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns(Contagion) to his resume.  Personally I hope he chooses to work with Soderbergh, but we'll see.

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Bradley Cooper to replace George Clooney in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.?

When George Clooney was forced to drop out(due to injury) from his buddy Steven Soderbergh's remake of spy series The Man From U.N.C.L.E., practically every big name on the planet was listed as a possibility to replace him. Matt Damon, Jude Law, Russell Crowe, and many more all said to be vying for the role of ace American spy Napoleon Solo. Well out of the group, one name has emerged and it comes something of a surprise to me: Bradley Cooper.

Variety reports that an offer has been made to Cooper for the coveted gig, which he probably wont' turn down considering it fits neatly into his schedule, and the opportunity to work with somebody like Soderbergh on what may be one of his final films. Right now, Cooper is still filming The Silver Linings Playbook for David O. Russell, and from there he goes straight into Alex Proyas' mammoth Paradise Lost. Once that's done, he'd jump directly into U.N.C.L.E., assuming everything in in place by then.

There's still the matter of casting Solo's opposite, the Russian spy Illya Kuryakin, a role expected to go to a younger, up 'n coming face  Joel Kinnaman(Snabba Cash) is said to be one of the frontrunners at this point. The script by Scott Z. Burns(Contagion) will keep the spy film firmly set in the 1960s, and deal with the United Network Command for Law Enforcement and their ongoing battle with the terrorist organization T.H.R.U.S.H.

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Every actor on the planet in consideration for The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Ok, as much as I'm starting to despise the "offer" story, the "wishlist" story is a million times worse. If asked any studio head right now who they'd pick to star in their movie if scheduling and salary weren't an issue, the response would be the same if the film was The Expendables or All The Pretty Horses. There are very few exceptions, so when I hear names like Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Christian Bale, and Leonardo DiCaprio wishlisted for Steven Soderbergh's remake of 60s spy spoof, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, it makes me go "zzzzzzzzzzzzz....".

ThePlaylist has apparently discovered the rest of the desired names for the film, which recently we learned had Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Alexander Skarsgard, and Ryan Gosling wanted for the co-lead role of Russian spy Illya Kuryakin. This followed on the footsteps of George Clooney having to bow out due to a bad back, with the actor set to play the other lead of American agent Napoleon Solo. With Clooney's A-list power out of the picture, the need to cast a bigger star in the Kuryakin role increased. Other names include, apparently for both lead parts, Robert Pattinson, Russell Crowe, Ryan Reynolds, Jon Hamm, and Bradley Cooper. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!! Soderbergh was said to also have been looking at frequent collaborator Matt Damon, but he'll actually be shooting his directorial debut, Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses, at that same point. Jude Law is a possibility as well, having just starred in Soderbergh's Contagion.What, no Jeremy Renner?

The only thing that comes as any sort of surprise is the news that Soderbergh spoke to rising star Joel Kinnaman(The Killing, Snabba Cash) for the Kuyakin role. He apparently approached him during Comic-Con, but it's unclear if he remains a contender. Kinnaman may not be known to many right now, but his profile is set to get a boost with roles in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  and the Russia set alien invasion flick, The Darkest Hour. If Warner Brothers is planning on this becoming a franchise, which I'm sure they are, then Kinnaman may be a solid "buy low" option right now. Yes, I'm using fantasy football terminology for Hollywood casting now. The story says Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns are already mapping out sequels, which since Soderbergh is "retiring" he won't be directing but producing. We'll see about that.

The film already has a February 2012 date set for production kick off, so expect the major casting to get wrapped up in the next few weeks if not sooner.

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Alexander Skarsgard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Ryan Gosling lead wishlist for The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The hole left by the departure of George Clooney from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. looks to be filled sooner rather than later. I half expected that Steven Soderbergh, attached to direct the big screen adaptation of the cult fave 60s spy series, would replace the project with something else. Especially since it counts as one of the few films on his list before his "retirement". Why would he want to do with anybody other than his closest collaborators? 

But the wheels are still turning, apparently, as TheWrap has learned of Warner Brothers' extensive wishlist for the role that would've been opposite Clooney. The three main names being considered are Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling, and Alexander Skarsgard.  The first two are pretty easy as they'll appear on everybody list for every movie. The kicker is Skarsgard, who most will recognize as Eric Northman on HBO's True Blood. While his big screen presence remains fairly untested, he's got a lot coming up. He stars in a remake of Straw Dogs which is out right now. He has a minor role in Lars Von Trier's disaster pic, Melancholia, and next year will be featured in Peter Berg's Battleship. None of those would likely make Skarsgard the movie star a film like U.N.C.L.E. would.

The series was sortof a riff on the James Bond model, following two secret agents: American Napoleon Solo(Robert Vaughn) and Russian Illya Kuryakin(David McCallum) and their adventures working for global espionage organization, U.N.C.L.E. Clooney would've been Solo most likely, and although no names have been mentioned for that role obviously someone of equal stature is being sought. Daniel Craig, maybe? Seems like a natural fit to me, although I'm sure he's too busy. But when you're a star of the caliber Warner Brothers is no doubt seeking, scheduling is always an issue.

The same could be said of Gordon-Levitt and Gosling. I doubt either of them has the time to fit in a film that by all accounts is going to be physically taxing and action heavy.

Soderbergh's frequent writing partner, Scott Z. Burns(Contagion, The Informant!), wrote the script, which will keep the same action/comedy tone and will be set in the 1960s.

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George Clooney drops out of Steven Soderbergh's The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

We're running out of chances to see Steven Soderbergh direct before his so-called retirement. All three of his remaining films are wildly different from eachother, and are films I don't know if anybody else would touch. One is the male stripper flick, Magic Mike, which kicks off next month. And then he's also got his Liberace biopic. But the one I thought was the strangest was his planned big screen take on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., based on the television series from the 1960s.

George Clooney, who has worked with Soderbergh numerous times over the years, was set to star in the role made famous by Robert Vaughn, but now Deadline reports he's dropping out of the film. No reason has been given, but with the shoot date set for February of next year, it's likely that Clooney will just be too busy. I can't think of any other reason why he'd back down from one of the last gigs by his best bud.

For those unfamiliar, the show followed two secret agents, Napoleon Solo(Robert Vaughn) and Russian Illya Kuryakin(David McCallum) in a secret global espionage force known as U.N.C.L.E., battling the schemes of a worldwide criminal organization known as T.H.R.U.S.H. The remake, featuring a script by writer Scott Z. Burns(Contagion) will take place during the same time period, sticking with the original concept. There was dreadful sounding comedic take on the series to be directed by David Dobkin(Wedding Crashers), but thankfully that was scrubbed when Soderbergh came aboard.

I won't be surprised if Soderbergh drops out of this film now, especially if he can't get one of his buddies(Matt Damon??? Brad Pitt?? Don Cheadle?) in a lead role.

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