All-star cast: Regé-Jean Page, Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in new film

Billy Bob Thornton and Alfre Woodard would also join Page, Gosling and Evans in upcoming thriller The Gray Man, it was announced on social media on Wednesday. 

‘THE GRAY MAN’ PLOT

The Gray Man is based on the first instalment of Mark Greaney’s series of books, also titled The Gray Man. The action thriller follows freelance assassin Court Gentry, played by Ryan Gosling, who is chased across the world by former CIA cohort Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans). 

The film is directed by the Russo brothers Anthony and Joe. Production is set to begin in two weeks’ time in Los Angeles, California. The Russo brothers wrote the script and a polish was done by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. A release date is not yet available. 

“The movie is a real mano a mano [intense confrontation] between those two great actors who represent two different versions of the CIA, in what it can be and what it can do,” Anthony Russo told Deadline. 

“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,” he added. 

‘THE GRAY MAN’ IS NETFLIX’S BIGGEST-BUDGET FILM

According to Deadline, The Gray Man has a budget of $200m (R3bn) to bring the film to life. This will make it the biggest-budget film in Netflix history. The directors intend to create a new franchise with the film that is on a James Bond level. It will star Gosling in a series of films to follow.

“The intention is for it to be competitive with any theatrical, and the ability to do [it] 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 centre of it,” Joe Russo told Deadline.

“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 get burned by the CIA and Evans’s character has to hunt him down.”

THE FILM’S ALL-STAR CAST 

Besides the obvious eye candy, other big names are also coming to the film.

Netflix first announced in December 2020 that Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas would star in the The Gray Man.  

Ryan Gosling x Chris Evans x Ana de Armas = THE GRAY MAN

A new film from directors Anthony & Joe Russo, the upcoming action thriller is based on the debut novel by Mark Greaney. pic.twitter.com/pfOAYfWDup

— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) December 11, 2020

A week later, Netflix announced that Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, Dhanush and Julia Butters would join the cast. 

THE GRAY MAN cast just got even better.

Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, Dhanush, and Julia Butters will join Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas in the upcoming action thriller from directors Anthony and Joe Russo. pic.twitter.com/SJcz8erjGm

— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) December 17, 2020

On 3 March, Netflix announced that Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard and Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page were also joining the cast. 

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