The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: original series & films

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  • edited May 2013 Posts: 7,653
    Now if Tom would only bow out of the next Reacher movie the world would be a better place.
  • Posts: 2,115
    This probably means Cruise's career will surge again. People whose names get floated but don't appear do well.

    http://hmssweblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/the-reverse-man-from-u-n-c-l-e-curse/
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Oh man, I hope there is not another Reacher film with him! Oh no. I like the books so much.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    edited May 2013 Posts: 4,043
    So glad the smiley one is not involved, better not make derogatory comments about his so called religious beliefs or the member that seems to be advocating Enoch Powell will come and tell me off again, it's OK to knock the Catholic Church and say you agree with some racist but knock old Tom and so called intellect of the Wizard will be visited on you.

    Now we need the Winklevoss twins and Richie to quit and this film might have a hope in hell.

    John Hamm for Solo, Cumberbatch or Fassbender for Ilya, an American should certainly not be playing Mccallum's part.
  • edited May 2013 Posts: 4,622
    Villiers53 wrote:
    I love reading this stuff and when it comes to the less serious end of the spy spectrum, I agree completely with your comment albeit, 'The Avengers' started in 1961 and proceeded Bond.
    You are techicially right of course, but if you research the Avengers origins, the Avengers shift to MacNee as gentleman-agent was in response to Bond.
    Even though the Avengers, first hit the airways in 1961, a year before DN, the show is still very much a child of Bond. The TV producers, readily admit to being influenced by Fleming's books and sagely forecast the Bond driven spy-mania that would flourish in the 1960's. The re-tooled, Steed-focused Avengers was their response. The show found its style in its second season (62-63) when Steed's gentleman spy took over as the main focus, from Ian Hendry's doctor-detective, David Keel, and during this season in the wake of Eon's DN, also transitioned to featuring Honor Blackman's glamourous, Bond-girlish, Steed partner, Cathy Gale, and the Avengers was off and running.

    Interesting, that yes, I guess you could say Fleming and Bond inspired 3 diverse segments of the spy genre, but I don't think the spyfy genre as embraced by the likes of Uncle and The Avengers really existed until Fleming teased it in his novels, followed by Eon going whole hog, embellishing it somewhat, and throwing it up on the big-screen, in all its Bondmania glory.

    The dropping out of Cruise is a mixed bag I would say. The upside is that maybe he wasn't the ideal choice to play Solo for a variety of reasons, but he did bring that box-office clout.
    Even though Cruise is gone, this is still very much a serious blockbuster type production, considering who the director is, and other production details. So this throws open the door to cast a more "suitable" lead - a younger lead, who fits the look, and might last longer in the role, if needed. There are no shortage of intriguing casting possibilities. Might Bradley Cooper re-enter the mix again. hmmm.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    Cruise is spy-ed out anyway- GET Taylor Kitsch! :)>-
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    If you want an interesting choice of casting, then go for Neil Patrick Harris as Illya Kuryakin:
    YES!!!
  • Posts: 5,745
    This is good news to me. I thought it was going to be MI:GP and Bourne: Legacy all over again. Can't stand the same actors playing similar characters in similar franchises.
  • Posts: 12,837
    SaintMark wrote:
    Now if Tom would only bow out of the next Reacher movie the world would be a better place.

    He's doing another? I didn't mind the first one but Tom Cruise is just wrong for the part in so many ways. Dunno what Lee Child was thinking casting him.

    Somebody online suggested this bloke and while I haven't seen him in anything, he definitely looks the part (unlike Cruise). Dye his hair and he'd look almost perfect.

    http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=liev+schreiber&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB:IE-Address&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=9M6jUY_bG7GV0QXr6YHoAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAA&biw=1093&bih=498
  • Posts: 1,860
    From Variety:


    With the news coming out that Tom Cruise had fallen off “Man From U.N.C.L.E,” Warner Bros. has acted fast to find his replacement having entered talks with Henry Cavill to star.

    He would co-star with Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander with Guy Ritchie helming.

    The film is an adaptation of the 1960s TV series which followed two agents of the United Network Command for Law Enforcement as they fought the evil agents of Thrush.

    Ritchie will also produce along with producing partner Lionel Wigram. John Davis is also producing.

    The interesting part about this casting is that Cavill actually met for the Hammer role when Cruise had already been negotiations for the lead. The studio obviously has a great relationship with him having worked with him on “Man of Steel” and had also been looking at him for a co-starring role opposite Chris Hemsworth in “In the Heart of the Sea.”

    This is a very positive sign for a film that has been looking long and hard for its leading man going all the way back when George Clooney was attached to star and Steven Soderbergh was attached to direct. After they both left the project, Warners approached several actors to star including Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, Ben Affleck and Bradley Coooper but in each of the cases they either passed or could not make their dates work.

    With Cavill’s schedule wide open having not set up his next film, its a good sign that the studio may have finally found their man. Production is set to start this fall.
  • Posts: 2,115
    The Hollywood Reporter and The Wrap have matched the Variety story. Cavill just turned 30 this month and Armie Hammer will turn 27 in August. Cavill is the same age Robert Vaughn was when he was cast as Solo (he celebrated his 31st birthday in November 1963 during filming of the pilot episode).
  • Posts: 4,622
    Cavill's a good choice.....and he is young. Yes, yes, yes!
    Note to Eon. It's OK to cast a 30 year old as Bond too!
  • Posts: 1,860
    I'll repost here.

    Armie Hammer says his next film will be "the man from uncle" starring alongside Henry Cavill.

    http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/watch/17468787/armie-hammer-the-lone-ranger/

    At least Cavill still appears to still be Solo so far.
  • Posts: 1,860
    From USA TODAY interview with Cavill:


    The actor does not buy into a Superman curse ("If anything bad happens to me, it's not because Superman made it happen"). Nor does he fear being stereotyped in the role — a fate that has befallen other actors.

    "There is always that risk. But it's a risk I'm glad to take," he says. "The way to break out of that is to do a different role."

    To that end, Cavill just signed on to star as a spy in Guy Ritchie's adaptation of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., replacing Tom Cruise, who is no longer associated with the project. He is tight-lipped about his Napoleon Solo role except to say he'll be alongside The Lone Ranger star Armie Hammer, who will play Illya Kuryakin.

    "Things are full-steam ahead. It's all very early days. But it's gonna happen," Cavill says before pausing. "Well, this is Hollywood. It's supposed to happen."
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    All looks good so far!
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,216
    Does anyone think that Cavill had any contact Eon; and does his accepting the Uncle role suggest that he was told that he was out of contention for Bond?
  • Posts: 4,622
    I am not sure what Eon might think. I think they are committed to Craig for the forseeable future, so they aren't in much of a position to offer anyone else the Bond job, at least not with any degree of certainty.

    Meantime, Cavill seems like a good pick. I like the fact that he's young. Hopefully he spends time watching the original series and picks up on the Robert Vaughn vibe.
  • Posts: 1,860
    Latest interview with Cavill:

    LOS ANGELES—Henry Cavill is going from “Man of Steel” to “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” “I can tell you that I am signed on for ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,’ ” confirmed the actor du jour in a recent interview at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.
    “That’s so far going very well,” he said of preproduction for the film adaptation of the 1960s TV spy series with Armie Hammer as costar and Guy Ritchie as director.
    “I am very excited about it,” added the actor, who has barely landed as the caped crusader but now he’s stepping into yet another high-profile role. Henry is taking over the role after Tom Cruise had to back out because of production schedule conflict (his fifth “Mission Impossible” will shoot around the same time as “The Man From…”). “I can’t wait to work with Guy and Armie. I can’t tell you any details about the script yet because it’s a long way from development… [but it will still be] about the Cold War. American and Russian super spies join teams to fight international terrorism.”
    He and Armie will play the roles originated by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum—as operatives in the United Network Command for Law Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.).
    These big breaks came to Henry after he lost a string of major parts where he was a serious contender—the James Bond role that went to Daniel Craig in “Casino Royale” (Henry was deemed too young), Batman (Christian Bale), Superman (Brandon Routh) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson).


    Read more: http://entertainment.inquirer.net/97421/from-man-of-steel-to-man-from-u-n-c-l-e#ixzz2VYwUdeE2
    Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook


    Well, we may not have Spectre but we might get the larger than life international terrorist group Thrush. You know, those guys who believe in a two party system............the masters and the slaves.
  • edited June 2013 Posts: 4,622
    Thrush is awesome and a shameless rip-off of Spectre, which is a good thing. I am really looking forward to what they might do with this latest manifestation of Thrush villainy. Thrush was part of the charm of Uncle. The agents always had a dependable worthy adversary, that semed to be continually re-inventing itself, with an endless cast of fresh senior operatives, bizarre henchmen and of course that staple of the spyfy genre - the duplicitious femme fatale.
    I really do hope they try and capture the vibe of the original series, rather than devolve into something more contemporary serious.
    Somehow I sense that is the direction they might be looking at. Otherwise what's the point.
  • Based on Henry Cavill's comments in the entertainment inquirer piece, the new movie will be a period piece (similar to the Soderbergh project).
  • Posts: 1,860
    That's what it sounds like. And from what I've read it's being patterned after the style of the shows first season.

    To give Thrush it's due. Spectre was a criminal organization interested in profits. Thrush wanted to actually rule the world.

    In the new movie it sounds like the threat of Thrush is so perilous that agents from all nationalities must ban together. Countries never worried about Spectre in that way.

    Also Spectre was an organization while Thrush was an ideal, a country, a Supra Nation as it was referred to. We even hear someone say in the first episode "Thrush is my country, Mr. Solo".
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    The character was being hyperbolic with thrush being his country. Anyway, I'm excited for this movie, just been researching season 1 of the original series and I'm having so much fun. If this movie can capture the essence of the original series then it should be fantastic.
  • Thrush was bigger than SPECTRE.

    In one episode (The Nowhere Affair, season 2), it's stated that Thrush has thousands of employees on the U.S. West Coast alone. In The Sort-Of-Do-It-Yourself-Dreadful Affair written by Harlan Ellison (season 3), it's stated that Thrush has assets of $1.65 billion.

    In The Gurnius Affair (season 4), it's stated Thrush has invested $4 billion in a project.

  • Posts: 4,622
    delfloria wrote:
    That's what it sounds like. And from what I've read it's being patterned after the style of the shows first season.

    To give Thrush it's due. Spectre was a criminal organization interested in profits. Thrush wanted to actually rule the world.

    In the new movie it sounds like the threat of Thrush is so perilous that agents from all nationalities must ban together. Countries never worried about Spectre in that way.

    Also Spectre was an organization while Thrush was an ideal, a country, a Supra Nation as it was referred to. We even hear someone say in the first episode "Thrush is my country, Mr. Solo".
    Good breakdown of Thrush. It does seem to be derived from Spectre, but yes it is an entirely different, even purer manifestation of the evil organization bent on world domination, than Spectre was.

  • Posts: 1,860
    [img][/img]soloontherun_zps04f83814.jpg

    The new spy on the block.
  • Posts: 4,622
    Oh very nice!. I do like the look! The gun looks very authentic Uncle too!
  • Posts: 12,526
    delfloria wrote:
    [img][/img]soloontherun_zps04f83814.jpg

    The new spy on the block.

    Very cool! Liking the look of that! :D
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