Christopher McQuarrie Shares Set Portraits of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 6 Stars

Director Christopher McQuarrie has shared some of his own portraits of actors in Mission: Impossible 6 on his Instagram feed, offering us glimpses of franchise newcomers Henry Cavill and Angela Basset in character. As we saw in paparazzi shots and a shot McQuarrie shared on Twitter from the recent Paris shoot, Cavill sports a full mustache in his role - presumably in part to clearly differentiate him from his other Sixties TV-derived screen spy, Napoleon Solo, and from his most famous role, Superman. I like the look! All we really know about Cavill's role is that he'll be the right-hand man to Alec Baldwin's IMF chief, which is the same function Jeremy Renner's character, Brandt, filled in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. So it seems likely that Cavill is stepping in for the unavailable Renner in a similar but slightly re-written role. (There is plenty of precedent for this sort of actor substitution on the original TV series, where Peter Graves replaced Steven Hill as the team leader in Season 2, Leonard Nimoy replaced Martin Landau as the disguise expert in Season 4, and Sam Elliott briefly filled in for Peter Lupus on a bi-weekly basis in Season 5.) Bassett will play the new CIA director, a position Baldwin's character occupied in the last film before accepting the IMF position. I'm really hoping neither of them turns out to be a traitor, because the Mission: Impossible film franchise overdid it on rogue agents and moles to such a degree in the first three installments that I never need to see another one in this series! Finally, McQuarrie also shares a very nice shot of fan favorite Ving Rhames, who returns for his sixth Mission as Luther Stickell. The director recently explained how he planned to make his second entry in the series stand apart from his first (and why that's important in a franchise that has never tapped the same director twice before) in a fascinating podcast.

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A post shared by Christopher McQuarrie (@christophermcquarrie) on Jun 9, 2017 at 12:47am PDT

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A post shared by Christopher McQuarrie (@christophermcquarrie) on May 22, 2017 at 10:26pm PDT

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A post shared by Christopher McQuarrie (@christophermcquarrie) on May 18, 2017 at 8:33am PDT

Tradecraft: Dominic Cooper Steps In for Henry Cavill in Stratton

The special forces espionage adventure Stratton, adapted from Duncan Falconer's books, hit a major setback in late May when star and producer Henry Cavill (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) suddenly and unexpectedly bolted the project weeks before filming had been scheduled to begin. Now a replacement has been found. Deadline reports that Dominic Cooper (Fleming, Agent Carter) will take over the lead role of SBS Intelligence Detachment operative John Stratton, who must chase down an international terrorist cell through Central Asia, Europe and London, all while contending with the damage done by a mole inside MI5. It seems doubtful that Cooper, who was recently announced to return as Howard Stark on Season Two of Agent Carter as well as playing the lead on AMC's Preacher, will have time to grow the sort of beard Cavill had grown for the part! (And sported during the early rounds ofhis  U.N.C.L.E. publicity tour.) Additionally, Austin Stowell (Bridge of Spies) will play Lt. Hank Monroe, a heroic, hardened American Navy SEAL who teams with Stratton on his mission. Derek Jacobi, Thomas Kretschmann, Tom Felton, Gemma Chan, Tyler Hoechlin, Connie Nielsen and Jake Fairbrother also star, and Simon West (The Mechanic, The Saint) directs.

First Man From U.N.C.L.E. Character Poster

While the final 1-sheet for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was decidedly lackluster (especially compared to the striking teaser poster), at least there are much better character posters to look forward to. Here's the first one, showcasing Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo (played on the Sixties TV series by Robert Vaughn). Presumably we can expect an Illya Kuryakin poster featuring Armie Hammer soon, and perhaps even an Alexander Waverly poster with Hugh Grant. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. opens August 14. Watch the latest trailer here.

Tradecraft: Henry Cavill Drops Out of Stratton

Variety reports that Henry Cavill (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) has abruptly dropped out of the action/espionage movie Stratton just five days before filming was scheduled to start due to "creative differences." Cavill was also producing the movie through his shingle Promethean, and he seemed very enthusiastic about the movie, envisioned as a potential franchise, last December. He even grew the beard he's been sporting so far on his Man From U.N.C.L.E. press tour for the character of SBS (Special Boat Services, the Naval equivalent of the SAS) operative John Stratton, hero of a series of books by Duncan Falconer. This is all very disappointing. I'd hoped to see Cavill toplining two spy series simultaneously. Financiers GFM films plan to recast as quickly as possible to keep the crew and director Simon West (The Mechanic, The Saint) in place. I hope they're able to find someone of Cavill's caliber. Stratton follows the title character as he chases down an international terrorist cell through Central Asia, Europe and London, all while contending with the damage done by a mole inside MI5.

Entertainment Weekly Reveals Cool Man From U.N.C.L.E. Movie Details

In its summer movie preview, Entertainment Weekly has revealed some very cool details about Guy Ritchie's upcoming movie version of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. We already knew that it was a period piece set in the era of the TV show (and the height of spymania), the 1960s, and we knew from the trailer that East/West checkpoints play a role. But until now I hadn't seen anything to indicate that the movie would feature one of my very favorite tropes of Cold War spy fictions both fantastical and realistic—a Berlin wall crossing! According to the magazine, "In one extended chase sequence, Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Gabby Teller (Alicia Vikander) elude Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) by zip-lining across the Berlin Wall." This, of course, happens before the American and Russian agents eventually team up, as the movie serves as an origin story for the famous partnership. I would guess the zip-lining leads into the sequence we've seen in the trailer (albeit clearly edited out of order) in which Illya pursues the pair in a nighttime car chase. EW provides some terrific concept artwork for the sequence, too (above). "What we’re trying to capture are iconic memories of the East-meets-West scenario,” Ritchie told the magazine. "Getting over the Wall is part of that world." The stunt, EW reports, was inspired by a real-life incident in 1983 in which Michael Becker and Holger Bethke fled East Berlin in the same manner. "We looked up every conceivable way of getting over the Berlin Wall," said Ritchie. "That was the most plausible." (But did he consider Jason King's method of being transported across in a shipping crate lined with luxurious cushions and stocked with champagne?) As well as the series itself, Ritchie was inspired by the Sixties Bond movies and the Harry Palmer films starring Michael Caine. Wall crossing plays a major role in the second of those movies based on Len Deighton's novels, Funeral in Berlin. And the concept of escaping an Eastern Bloc nation also recalls one of the very best episodes of the TV show, Season 1's "The Dove Affair." I would be very happy if it turns out that the movie leans heavily on that Robert Towne-penned classic! Henry Cavill News has scans of additional illustrations from the print version of Entertainment Weekly, including a cool storyboard image of the zip-lining sequence.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. opens August 14.

First Man From U.N.C.L.E. Poster Revealed

The amazing trailer wasn't the only piece of Man From U.N.C.L.E. promotional material unveiled yesterday. Warner Bros. also released the first teaser poster for the Guy Ritchie film version of the Sixties TV classic starring Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer, and, happily, it looks classy and fantastic! There's also a half-sheet version. On top of that, the studio opened up an official website and Facebook page. Check them out! Is it August yet?

At Last--The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Trailer!

It's taken decades of development, years of false starts, and months of release date delays, but now we finally have video evidence that the feature film version of the classic Sixties spy TV show The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a reality! Here's the first trailer (along with some photos courtesy of EW) for the Warner Bros. franchise bid, opening in August:


Personally, I could not be happier. This trailer exceeds my wildest dreams for an U.N.C.L.E. feature. As great a job as the French OSS 117 parodies did at recreating the era, I've long wanted to see a straight action/spy movie made with today's technology but set in the Sixties, and this trailer delivers on that front. I love the 1963 setting and the very From Russia With Love feel. I love the little spy Easter eggs like the blue Aston Martin DB5 in the background of one shot, or Pussy Galore's helicopter from Goldfinger. I love the glimpse of Cold War Berlin. (Or some other border crossing?) I love what appears to be a villain's island headquarters. But I also love the nods to the original series. Sure, Armie Hammer seems to be playing a very different variation on Illya Kuryakin than we're used to from David McCallum, but is that an updated version of the (fully assembled) U.N.C.L.E. Special he's wielding in one shot? Sure looks like it! And Henry Cavill, who I confess I had misgivings about in the role of Napoleon Solo, completely wins me over in this trailer! I love his delivery. It feels like just the right tone. And despite his claims that he wasn't watching the original series in preparation for the role, I seem to detect a certain tribute to Robert Vaughn in his delivery. This looks truly fantastic. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the music. (A Temptations funk song from the early Seventies doesn't seem to convey that early Sixties spy feel to me.) I'd certainly prefer Jerry Goldsmith's classic TV theme. But that's a minor gripe. I can't wait for August, when we'll get Mission: Impossible 5 and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. within mere weeks of each other!

Tradecraft: Henry Cavill Keeps Spying After U.N.C.L.E.

When he's not Superman, he's a spy. It looks like Henry Cavill plans to keep right on spying after playing Napoleon Solo in the upcoming Man From U.N.C.L.E. feature. Through his production shingle, Promethean, the actor has optioned a series of action-oriented espionage novels by Duncan Falconer. According to Deadline, "John Stratton is an operative of the SBS [Special Boat Service, the Naval equivalent of the more famous SAS] who works with the Intelligence Detachment in Northern Ireland." The movie, envisioned as the first in a franchise, is simply titled Stratton, but according to Falconer (via HenryCavill.org) is based on his novel The Hostage. The plot of the novel involves the IRA, a mole in MI5, a captured U.S. Navy SEAL and a deadly terror plot against London. For the movie version, according to the author, the antagonists have been changed to Islamic fundamentalists and Paris to Rome. Surprisingly, that means Cavill will limit his spying to the same locations he covered as Napoleon Solo. According to the trade, Stratton will shoot in Southern Italy, Rome and London, all locales seen in Warner's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Shooting is scheduled to begin in the spring.

First Image From Warner's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Movie

We saw a small, blurry version of this still last fall, but now Warner Bros. (via Dark Horizons) has released a great big, high-res version of the first official photo from their forthcoming feature version of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Stars Henry Cavill (who plays Napoleon Solo), Armie Hammer (as Illya Kuryakin) and Alicia Vikander are pictured in a lush Roman setting showing off the movie's Sixties fashions. (I love that director Guy Ritchie chose to retain the TV series' Cold War setting!) The Man From U.N.C.L.E. opens in August.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Feature Film Officially Set to Begin Filming Next Week With Hugh Grant as Mr. Waverly

We've followed the various twists and turns in the road to make a feature film version of the Sixties TV classic The Man From U.N.C.L.E. for at least three years (when first David Dobkin and then Steven Soderbergh were set to direct, the latter with George Clooney starring), but it's been an even longer road than that. (As far back as the mid Nineties, there were rumors of a Quentin Tarantino version, and later Matthew Vaughn.) Things finally seemed to solidify somewhat in December 2011 when Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) came on board to direct, but even then it wasn't a smooth ride. We've followed the drama in the trades as various stars were approached and in some cases even attached (most famously Tom Cruise) before drifting away. Even as the final cast shaped up over this past summer, there was still no official announcement from Warner Bros. Today that changed. Today, the studio finally issued a press release officially confirming that filming commences September 9 on a Man From U.N.C.L.E. feature film starring Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) as Napoleon Solo, Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) as Illya Kuryakin and Hugh Grant as U.N.C.L.E. boss Alexander Waverly.

We've known for a while about Cavill and Hammer and Grant was announced a few weeks ago, but this is the first confirmation I've seen that Grant will be playing Waverly... and that's the first bit of casting on this project that really excites me! I'm certainly not up in arms or anything about Cavill or Hammer, but neither choice struck me as especially exciting either. This one does. I wouldn't have pictured Grant filling the shoes of the great Leo G. Carroll, but now that it's done I can totally see it. (Especially following Grant's heavily made-up appearance in the Seventies portion of Cloud Atlas.) Best of all, though, the press release also officially confirms that the film will be set in the 1960s. This was the case when Soderbergh was attached (working from a script by The Bourne Ultimatum's Scott Z Burns), but I was afraid no other director would have the chutzpah to set a modern action movie in the Sixties. Still, it looked in recent months like Ritchie was doing just that, and Hammer made allusions to the film being a period piece in interviews, but it's wonderful to have that officially confirmed. The Cold War setting is the aspect that has me most excited about this project. We've seen a comedic recreation of the most fertile period in spy film history in the excellent OSS 117 movies, but I, for one, can't wait to see a straightforward action spy movie set in that era but shot with modern techniques. (Assuming, that is, that this U.N.C.L.E. film is a serious movie and not a comedic take, like Starsky and Hutch.)

Ritchie is not using the Burns script, but rather one that he penned with his producing partner Lionel Wigram. Wigram and Ritchie produce along with John Davis and Steve Clark-Hall; one-time directorial candidate David Dobkin remains attached as executive producer.

Here is the plot description provided in the press release:

Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. centers on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe.

There are some details in there likely to alarm U.N.C.L.E. TV purists, but I'm thoroughly encouraged, personally. It makes complete sense for the American and Russian agents to come to U.N.C.L.E. from their respective countries' secret services. And as Wigram points out, this is a new take. "Guy and I have long loved these characters," he says, "and wanted to start from scratch with our own take and create a film steeped in the 1960s for today’s audiences." That sounds just fine to me. Beyond the origins, the plot sounds very much like it could come from an actual episode of the show, or from any number of spy movies produced during that decade. And that's as it should be. It sounds like it will involve the traditional U.N.C.L.E. rival THRUSH (the international criminal organization), and it sounds like it will involve an "innocent" (the TV show had a gimmick of teaming Solo and Kuryakin with a civilian - usually a beautiful woman - week after week) in the scientist's daughter.

Also confirmed in the cast are Alicia Vikander (Anna Karenina), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby) and Jared Harris (Moriarty in Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes sequel). I really liked Debicki in Gatsby, and I've been a fan of Harris ever since his wonderful performance in the criminally underrated 1994 vampire film Nadja (a remake of Dracula's Daugher). Plus, he's now a Hammer star! Presumably Harris will be playing either the missing scientist or the villain... or possibly both, should those characters prove to be one and the same.

Tradecraft: Henry Cavill Is the Latest Actor Mooted for Napoleon Solo

Man of Steel star Henry Cavill, who screentested for the role of James Bond in 2005, is the latest actor to be linked to the role of Napoleon Solo in Warner Bros.' Man From U.N.C.L.E. movie, Deadline reports. Tom Cruise exited the project, which is being directed by Guy Ritchie, last week. Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger, The Social Network) is still attached to play Illya Kuryakin. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum originated the roles of Solo and Kuryakin on the Sixties TV show. Before you become too attached to the idea of Cavill (The Cold Light of Day) as Solo, however, consider how many actors have been linked to this part over the past few years whose deals never came to fruition. Cavill certainly seems more age-appropriate to the role as portrayed on TV, however! Man, I just want to see this movie get made....

Cold Light of Day Poster

We saw the intriguing trailer yesterday; today, thanks to the Imp Awards, we have a glimpse at the 1-sheet for the Henry Cavill/Bruce Willis (yes, in that order) spy movie The Cold Light of Day.