EXCLUSIVE: Fresh from an earnings report that saw it add 10 million subscribers during the pandemic, Netflix has just set its most financially ambitious feature film so far. Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans are set to star in The Gray Man, with AGBO’s Joe & Anthony Russo directing their first blockbuster since setting the all-time global box office record with Avengers: Endgame two years ago. The intention here is to create a new franchise with a James Bond-level of scale and a budget upwards of $200 million.
The Russo’s AGBO is producing, and the script was written by Joe Russo, with a polish by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who scripted the Russo-directed Captain America and Avengers films and who are Co-Presidents of Story at AGBO. It is based on the 2009 Mark Greaney novel that introduced the Gray Man, a freelance assassin and former CIA operative named Court Gentry.
The action thriller is a deadly duel between killers as Gentry (Gosling) is hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Evans), a former cohort of Gentry’s at the CIA. The Gray Man turned into a bestselling book series.
Big challenge for the Russo but very exciting, especially with Gosling involved. Gosling has indeed been very good at choosing his projects during the last decade.
So what looked like fresh news to me seems to actually have been in the works for quite some time. First, James Gray worked on it with Casey Affleck or Brad Pitt as the lead. (Between Two lovers and The Immigrant). The The Russo Brothers started working on it after Winter Soldier, and were supposed to direct it after Civil War. There were even discussions about having Charlize Theron play the lead. But then the Russo were offered Avengers and that was an offer they couldn't refuse. But they've eyed this project as their first big film post MCU for a long time.
I mean Blade Runner is one thing with an auteur like Denis directing, plus how it ends it was likely one and done for him but being the type of role we all know he played of course a return in some form was possible. This in comparison has a pair of directors known for making “theme park films” not exactly the reputation of Denis. This is not particularly how I feel but it’s certainly a perception many cinephiles would have.
Nonetheless this will probably be great and is pretty exciting.
I mean Blade Runner is one thing with an auteur like Denis directing, plus how it ends it was likely one and done for him but being the type of role we all know he played of course a return in some form was possible. This in comparison has a pair of directors known for making “theme park films” not exactly the reputation of Denis. This is not particularly how I feel but it’s certainly a perception many cinephiles would have.
Nonetheless this will probably be great and is pretty exciting.
Blade Runner 2049 had a zillion Ks running around ala Terminator with Arnold, a sequel would've brought Gosling back 99%. And sure, it's an art-house blockbuster, but the Russos have had a truly historic run of critically lauded massive box office successes that also pleased fans. checking all three is almost impossible, let alone across 4 movies. that's James Cameron / Nolan levels of consistency, even if they're not neatly as great of artists or filmmakers. Endgame was one of the best reviewed movies of 2019 period.
also only pretentious assholes (and scorsese, who's kind of a pretentious assholes in this case) think big actioners or superhero movies are "theme park films" in this pejorative gross way (as if they're not art), so why mention this fairly fringe view as if it's a popularly held opinion by critics or audiences. its just bait.
