Armie Hammer says a sequel in the works for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Based on the hit 1960s spy series of the same name starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. finally found its way to the big screen in 2015 with Man of Steel star Henry Cavill assuming the role of Vaughn's CIA Agent Napoleon Solo and Hammer taking on McCallum's KGB Agent Illya Kuryakin.
Appropriately set in the 1960s with the two agents reluctantly pairing in the midst of the Cold War between the U.S. and Russia, director Guy Ritchie's $75 million budgeted spy thriller fell flat at the box office, earning a paltry $45.4 million domestically and $64.4 million overseas for global total of $109 million. Despite the cold reception to the film, a sequel is apparently in development.
In an interview for his shoot 'em up Free Fire, Hammer shared with /Film a conversation he had with one of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'s principal filmmakers. Hammer says:
"I called Lionel Wigram, the producer of the movie, and he and Guy produced it and wrote it all together. I was like, ‘Dude, what’s the deal? I get asked about this shit all the time. Can you just write a sequel?’ He was like, ‘You know what? Yeah, f*** it, I’ll do it. Sure, I’ll write a sequel.’ I was like, ‘If you write one, I’m sure we can get one made,’ so who knows? Today is the first day I’ve actually told anyone that story. I only told one other person who asked. Apparently, the sequel is being written right now. No pressure, Lionel!"
Whenever filmmakers attempt to make what they hope will become a franchise, they generally sign actors to more than one picture, so Wigram and Hammer's attempt of a sequel to U.N.C.L.E. doesn't sound completely far-fetched. Of course, the prospect of a sequel or sequels almost wholly depends on how well the film is received financially, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. for all intents and purposes was a huge disappointment considering the level of talent involved.
Since the release and quick exit of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., some significant things have happened. Hammer and Cavill's co-star, Alicia Vikander, won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Danish Girl, and if that wasn't enough to increase her visibility, she played opposite Matt Damon last year in Jason Bourne and is starring as Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider reboot. If an U.N.C.L.E. sequel happens, the filmmakers would certainly want to elevate Vikander to a lead role to maximize her potential (unless her new profile leads to scheduling conflicts). The first movie ended with her hinted at becoming more important in the organization, so that shouldn't be too hard to manage.
It's important to note that the idea of a sequel is a producer/co-writer's doing – not Warner Bros. – and it will be interesting to see how everything shakes out. It could just be that Wigram is putting out feelers to gauge a reaction from the studio since they have the power to put U.N.C.L.E. back into play. It's not a bad strategy, considering he's at least Hammer's interested.
Source: /Film