Steven Soderbergh to direct The Man From U.N.C.L.E.?

[Dusty Ayres]

Hear that creaking sound? That might just be the noise of another film escaping movie development hell. For Warner Bros has, for some time, been looking to put together a new film of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. And it might just have found the director to bring it to the big screen.

The Hollywood Reporter is suggesting that Steven Soderbergh is in “early talks” to direct the film, although he’s not at the stage yet where he’s signed on the dotted line.

Steven Soderbergh to direct The Man From U.N.C.L.E.?

Unfortunately, it's going to be set in the 1960s which will kill it right there. It should really be set today.

 

[auntiehill]

They just need to find some truly hot blonde guy to play Illya.

 

[Greg Cox]

Anybody else watch the TEMPLE GRANDIN biopic? There's a recurring bit about her obsession with "The Man from UNCLE."

I admit my memories of the original show are pretty hazy, although I'm pretty sure I had the coloring book when I was a kid!

 

[Dusty Ayres]

They probably will. But he can't be older than the man who'll probably play Solo, George Clooney.

 

[Velocity]

They just need to find some truly hot blonde guy to play Illya.

oh yeah! Sigh....

 

[Aragorn]

They just need to find some truly hot blonde guy to play Illya.

How about Michael Weatherly?

Mark Harmon can play Waverly.

 

[Dusty Ayres]

They just need to find some truly hot blonde guy to play Illya.

How about Michael Weatherly?

Mark Harmon can play Waverly.

Mark Harmon is too young to play the boss of George Clooney (both are contemporaries in age, IIRC.)

The best person to play Waverly is somebody the same age as Leo G. Carroll was in the original show.

 

[Lonemagpie]

reapeating my thoughts from the other thread on this...
Clooney would play it well, but might be a little too old-looking for Solo, especially if it's set in the 60s...

Really, he should have been Hannibal in The A Team. (Though I was surprised by how well Liam Neeson pulled off that role)

Setting it in the 60s also... while I'd like it, box-office-wise it'd have the shadow of Austin Powers looming over it if they kept it tongue-in-cheek, and if they made it grim and gritty then they'd have missed the target...

Illya will be tricky to cast (if this was 1990, Andreas Wisniewski would be ideal, but not 20 years later)... Unless... No, any UNCLE fans would lynch me for suggesting it...

Or if you *must* have a bigger movie name, and a Scot, then Ewan MacGregor


Just please don't them pull a Starbuck and recast Illya as female! (Though, oddly, I could see Angelina Jolie making a good female Solo...)

 

[RJDiogenes]

If they're really going to set it in the 60s, I'm encouraged. It's a bold move, but probably risky. While I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel series set in present day, if they're going for a remake, the best idea is to set it in the 60s. If they really want to do it right, they should make it in continuity with the original show.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I will be very curious to see how it does as a period piece. However, the notion that the previous party was working on it as a comedy has me annoyed. (Horrified.)

 

[Starkers]

I love the Man from UNCLE, but this will be a tricky one. It needs to have a sense of humour about it without being played for laughs, needs to take itself seriously without going down the gritty and realistic route.

Not sure about Clooney as Solo, but I'd agree, Iliya will be the harder one to cast (please God not Matt Damon!)

Robert Vaughn as Waverly?

 

[auntiehill]

Paul Bettany might make a good Illya, although I'm not sure I'd like anyone in that role as much I loved David McCallum.

 

[Starkers]

Hmm, Bettany could work come to think of is...

 

[stj]

If you want Ilya Kuryakin, regardless of who plays him, then the movie has to be set in the Sixties. Being Russian was bad ass by itself, and he could still be a hero. Being a Russian bad ass now means being a gangster.

Michael Christofer for Waverley!

Aaron Eckhart for Napoleon Solo. If he could sell Chris Nolan's Harvey Dent, he could sell Solo.

Alexander Skarsgaard for Kuryakin of course.

 

[cardinal biggles]

Paul Bettany might make a good Illya, although I'm not sure I'd like anyone in that role as much I loved David McCallum.

I guess it's a generational thing; apart from the clips shown in HBO's Temple Grandin biopic, I've never seen any of the original Man from U.N.C.L.E. To me, David McCallum is Ducky from NCIS.

 

[T'Baio]

A Soderbergh directed U.N.C.L.E. starring Clooney set in the 60's sounds awesome!

 

[ancientone51]

Alexander Skarsgaard and George Clooney OMG as the youngsters say.

That would be about as yummy as the original, which I watched faithfully in first run.

Much as I'd enjoy seeing Bob Vaughn again, not sure I could see him as Waverly, but he certainly could guest cameo on it somehow.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Bump! Seems Clooney has dropped out, which is a surprise, given his relationship with Soderbergh. Still, I think he was a little old for the role. Jon Hamm please!

Also, the scriptwriter talks briefly about the movie (and his 20,000 Leagues, to be directed by David Fincher).
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/21628/george-clooney-drops-out-of-u-n-c-l-e

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/21622/-20-000-leagues-u-n-c-l-e-updates

 

[Captaindemotion]

Am I the only one still interested? Well, if anyone else is, it seems that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling and Alexander Skaarsgard top the wishlist for Kuryakin. Not bad choices! No word on Solo-faves. The movie also is said to be aiming for a 'Lethal Weapon' type tone. Works for me.

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/colum...n-gosling-warner-bros-looking-man-uncle-31026

 

[Captaindemotion]

Okay, clearly I AM the only one still interested, but here's a good article on the casting wishlist, also alluding to the fact that Soderbergh and co are planning a franchise and have mapped out sequel ideas.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayl...in_steven_soderberghs_the_man_from_u.n.c.l.e/