Guy Ritchie is a curious fit for the spy genre – in his past films, the British helmer has gotten down and dirty with London’s lowlifes, duked it out with fast-talking thugs and turned Baker Street’s best into a bone-crunching badass. So in watching the new trailer for his spin on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., it’s thrilling to see how Ritchie has taken to the slick, stylish world of upper-class espionage, complete with gorgeous period wear and lush locales. Of course, there are still some hard-hitting fight scenes, including one in a dingy bathroom, but the film seems more Bond than bruiser for the most part.
That’s not a bad thing – with the excellent cast he’s enlisted here, Ritchie has all the materials to make a thrilling spy film. Henry Cavill stars as CIA Agent Solo, who is forced to partner with a Russian agent named Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) in order to protect both nations from a mysterious international criminal organization.
Alicia Vikander, the star of this year’s sensational Ex Machina, has the lead female role, while The Great Gatsby‘s Elizabeth Debicki, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows‘ Jared Harris and Hugh Grant take on supporting parts.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is planting its flag firmly in blockbuster territory by opening August 14.
Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel”) stars as Napoleon Solo opposite Armie Hammer (“The Social Network”) as Illya Kuryakin in director Guy Ritchie’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” a fresh take on the hugely popular 1960s television series.
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.
“The Man from U.N.C.L.E” also stars Alicia Vikander (“Anna Karenina”), Elizabeth Debicki (“The Great Gatsby”), with Jared Harris (“Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows”), and Hugh Grant as Waverly.
The screenplay was written by Guy Ritchie & Lionel Wigram, who previously collaborated on re-imagining the classic detective Sherlock Holmes in two hit films. The story is by Jeff Kleeman & David Campbell Wilson and Guy Ritchie & Lionel Wigram, based on the television series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
