Summary
Despite the fact thatThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.could have been made in the 1990s, the movie didn’t premiere until 2015 due to a struggle to find the right story and the right crew.The Man from U.N.C.L.E.is apopular spy moviethat’sbased on the 1964 television series of the same name. The story follows Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin, two spies who work for U.N.C.L.E.: the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. Though the movie makes a few key changes, the 2015 adaptation follows the same basic story; two spies work together to take down an international threat.
Although 2015’sThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.benefits from a star-studded cast and a colorful 1960s setting, much of the movie’s success rides on its source material.The Man from U.N.C.L.E.was a beloved television seriesthat ran from 1964 to 1968. It helped jumpstart the spy fiction craze of the 1960s, and countless copycats were created in its image. In this way, creating a movie adaptation of the show was a big deal. Yet, it took several decades forThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.to take off.
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The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Movie Was In Development Since 1993
John Davis Bought The Rights
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.was released in 2015, but its development story actually begins in the early ’90s. According toVariety, producer John Davis purchased the rights toThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.in 1993. His original deal involved a collaboration with Warner Bros. and the producer of the original 1964 show, Norman Felton. However, the movie didn’t see much movement, ultimately getting stuck in what is known as development hell. Countless scripts were tossed out, and various directors passed on the project.The Man from U.N.C.L.E.stalled for over 20 years.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.ended up with a budget of $75 million. It grossed $110 million at the box office.
One detail that keptThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.in development hell was the budget. WhileWarner Bros. reportedly wanted to keep the movie’s budget under $60 million, other crew members felt that that amount would be sufficient for the type of blockbuster movie it was (viaTHR). In order to have historically accurate costumes and sets, the budget would have to be higher, with the addition of cool action sequences also pushing the budget’s boundaries. Ultimately, this was one avenue that keptThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.from progressing. However, there was an even greater problem.
Why The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Movie Experienced So Many Script Rewrites
Budget aside, the thing that truly draggedThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.down was its lack of a solid script. Over the course of its 20 years in development hell,the movie saw an estimated 12 to 14 different scripts, according to Variety. Plus, the movie not only went through countless stories, but they were also written by different people. Davis brought on writers like Jim and John Thomas, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, and Scott Z. Burns throughout that time. Eventually, the movie ended up being written by Guy Ritchie and Lionel Wigram, but it took many trials and errors to get the final product.
They had to figure out how to transformThe Man from U.N.C.L.Einto a film that was cool, nostalgic, and fresh.
The most likely cause ofThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.‘srewrites was figuring out how to adapt the movie from its source material. Because of the 1964 television series, the movie had a fan base it needed to appease. However, the movie also had to cater to new audiences as well. Therefore, it seems likely thatJohn Davis and his screenwriters were fighting to find a balance between old and new. They had to figure out how to transformThe Man from U.N.C.L.Einto a film that was cool, nostalgic, and fresh.
Guy Ritchie Joined The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Movie 20 Years After The Rights Were Acquired
Guy Ritchie Was The Right Director For The Project
Twenty years after John Davis acquired the rights, Guy Ritchie signed on to direct the film. Before him, Davis had partnered with people likemovie director Matthew Vaughn, David Dobkin, and Steven Soderbergh.Guy Ritchie officially took on the movie in 2013. Then, after writing the screenplay with Lionel Wigram, the movie finally entered production later that year. The movie’s cast starred Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, and Alicia Vikander, though their characters notably lacked some of the backstory from the TV show. Namely, Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin were not partners from U.N.C.L.E.
Ultimately, Guy Ritchie proved to be the right director for this particular franchise. In the past,Guy Ritchie’s moviesdemonstrated that he was adept at writing and directing unique crime films. In this way,he had the expertise to makeThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.epicboth from an action standpoint, but also stylistically. He was able to infuse his own sharp wit intoThe Man from U.N.C.L.E’scharacters. His writing and directing were especially pivotal when it came to the movie’s original characters, including Gaby and the villain, Victoria Vinciguerra.
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Notably,The Man from U.N.C.L.E.was almost directed by Quentin Tarantino. After the success of his 1994 moviePulp Fiction,Tarantino was attached to the film adaptation, but he reportedly decided to pass on it in order to work on his next movie,Jackie Brown.Just as Guy Ritchie was perfect forThe Man from U.N.C.L.E., Tarantino found a better fit in his 1997 crime thriller. If he had worked onThe Man from U.N.C.L.E., who knows if Tarantino would have made his other iconic films or chosen other projects instead.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Movie Went Through Major Casting Changes
The Journey To Find Napoleon Solo
Though Henry Cavill proved himself to be an outstanding Napoleon Solo, he wasn’t always the first choice. Originally, George Clooney secured the role in 2010. However, due to an ongoing back injury, he had to pull out (viaDigital Spy). From there, the search for Solo went far and wide. Some reported potential candidates included Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling, Robert Pattinson, Jon Hamm, Bradley Cooper, and Christian Bale. Eventually, action heroTom Cruise took the leading part. He remained inThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.cast for about two months until his commitment toMission: Impossible - Rogue Nationforced him out.
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Eventually, Henry Cavill was awarded the part. Like Guy Ritchie, he ended up being an ideal actor for the role. Cavill had proven his versatility early on in his career, playing distinguished English gentlemen and fierce action heroes. Just beforeThe Man from U.N.C.L.E., Cavill had earned his breakthrough role as Clark Kent inMan of Steel.In this way,Cavill had both the skill and the star power to bolsterThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.Plus, his chemistry with Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander proved successful.
Despite taking two decades to come together, it is a good thing thatThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.came out as it did. It could have potentially been just as successful with Matthew Vaughn or Christian Bale, but the film has its own distinct footprint because of the specific people who worked on it. AlthoughThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.isn’t the most popular spy movie of all time, it definitely has its merits. After 20 years of development, it deserves more credit than it currently gets.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Cast
Based on the television series of the same name, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. Set during the height of the Cold War, the film follows a CIA operative and a KGB agent who are forced to work together to stop an international criminal conspiracy. Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, and Hugh Grant star alongside Cavill and Hammer.
