The Russo Bros. Are Set to Direct Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in Netflix's Big-Budget Spy Thriller THE GREY MAN
Marvel directing team Joe and Anthony Russo are set to direct a new film for Netflix titled The Grey Man. The spy thriller will star Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans and it will be the biggest budget that Netflix has ever given a film project.
The film has a budget of over $200 million and it’s based on the book written by Mark Greaney of the same name. Marvel movie writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely helped polish the script that was initially written by Joe Russo.
The film will follow a freelance assassin and former CIA operative named Court Gentry. The story is an “action thriller that centers on 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 is being built up as an action franchise in which Gosling will continue the series with multiple installments. The project was originally developed years ago at New Regency. Brad Pitt was supposed to star in that version. The Russo’s have been quietly developing this version for a few years.
Anthony Russo said in a statement:
“The movie is a real mano a mano between those two great actors, who represent two different versions of the CIA, in what it can be, and what it can do. For those who were fans of Captain America: Winter Soldier, this is us moving into that territory in more of a real world setting. That’s what this movie really means for us.”
Joe Russo added:
“The intention is for it to be competitive with any theatrical and the ability to do with with Gosling and Evans is a dream for us. The idea is to create a franchise and build out a whole universe, with Ryan at the center of it. We have all committed to the first movie and that’s got to be great to get us to the second movie. These are master assassins and Gosling’s characters gets burned by the CIA and Evans’ character has to hunt him down. We have a great working relationship with Netflix, and we go back almost 20 years with Scott Stuber. We formed AGBO to be an agnostic storytelling company, where we figure out the best platform. We think Netflix is the perfect place for this film.”
The Russo Bros. proves time and time again that they know how to tell a great story. I’m sure that this next big project of there’s is going to be great!
Source: Deadline