Most Netflix movies don't have a $200 million budget – but most Netflix movies aren't
"The Gray Man."
Why has Netflix spent so much money on this potential franchise?
Here's everything you need to know about the next big movie from the directors of "Avengers:
Endgame."
"The Gray Man" is a project that had been in development hell since 2011, before it
found its home on Netflix.
At one point, both Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron were reportedly in talks to appear
in the film, and it wasn't until early 2020 that the movie solidified its cast and directors.
The action film is based on the book of the same name by Mark Greaney, and follows a former
CIA operative on the run in Europe who is being hunted by his former colleague.
On the red carpet for "Spider-Man: No Way Home" in December 2021, director Joe Russo
revealed to Variety that "The Gray Man" would be released in the summer of 2022.
At the time, the director admitted the movie still had a lot of VFX that needed to be worked
on, which would consume a lot of time in post-production.
"I think we'll probably lock picture on that some time in February."
In April, Netflix confirmed that "The Gray Man" would be available for streaming on July
22, 2022.
The official trailer for the film revealed that the movie will also be available to watch
in theaters, with a limited release starting on July 15.
While Netflix has been pretty tight-lipped regarding "The Gray Man," Mark Greaney's source
novel gives us an indication of the film's plot.
We won't spoil the ending of that novel for you, though.
Court Gentry, also known as Sierra Six, also known as The Gray Man, is a former CIA operative.
Much like Ethan Hunt and James Bond, Six is probably the world's best assassin, with the
agency greenlighting his kills.
However, Six uncovers some dirty secrets within the CIA and finds himself on the run from
Lloyd Hansen, a former CIA officer who is now employed by a shady French organization.
When the president of Nigeria calls for Six's murder, Hansen and his allies oblige in order
to maintain a good relationship for a lucrative oil deal.
It's currently unclear if Netflix's adaptation will strictly stick to the same plot as the
novel.
It was first reported that Joe and Anthony Russo of Marvel Studios fame were attached
to direct "The Gray Man" in 2015, per Deadline.
However, at the time, the brothers were reportedly overwhelmed with their Phase 3 projects for
the MCU, and they opted to write the script for "The Gray Man," but not direct.
As the movie languished in development for several more years, the Russo brothers were
able to hop back aboard as directors officially in 2020.
Joe Russo also took a screenplay credit, alongside "Avengers: Endgame" writers Stephen McFeely
and Christopher Markus.
In a conversation with Fandango, Joe Russo amped up the movie, saying,
"I feel like 'The Gray Man' is basically everything we learned over the last decade poured into
one film."
In the last 10 years, the Russos have directed some of the biggest movies ever made, including
the final two "Avengers" flicks, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Captain
America: Civil War."
It seems likely that "The Gray Man" won't be anything less than stellar.
In July 2020, Deadline exclusively revealed that Ryan Gosling had joined "The Gray Man"
to play the titular protagonist.
This marks the first major motion picture for Gosling since 2018, when he played Neil
Armstrong in "First Man."
Speaking to Empire about "The Gray Man," Gosling revealed that wouldn't be opposed to making
some sequels, saying,
"What I liked about this character is that he wants something that most of us want, which
is just to be free [...] His goals aren't monetary, it's not about treasure, it's not
revenge.
He just wants to have the right to sit on the couch and watch Netflix like the rest
of us."
During the interview, Gosling revealed that Six has a dry sense of humor that'll be evident
in every scene.
"You must be Lloyd."
"What gave it away?"
"The white pants, the trash-stache."
He might be known for playing the hero, but "The Gray Man" sees Chris Evans step into
the villain's shoes as Six's biggest adversary, Lloyd Hansen.
Director Joe Russo even revealed that Evans had indicated being ready to take some serious
risks in his career, which led to him being cast as the antagonist.
Speaking to Den of Geek, Russo explained,
"So it seemed obvious to us that the right move here would be to offer Chris the sociopath
and not the hero."
Evans has also teased what to expect from his character, telling Empire in May 2022,
"He's a trainwreck of a human being [...] That guy can be anything in any scene, because
all he wants is anarchy."
"I can kill anybody."
In December 2020, Deadline revealed Ana de Armas had joined "The Gray Man" as CIA agent
Dani Miranda.
De Armas's character is someone who takes their job at the agency very seriously.
She'll work closely with Six, but the duo will spend some time figuring out if they
can be allies.
According to Dani's official poster for the film, the agent is "untraceable," suggesting
she might be able to help Six escape Lloyd's capture.
Not much else is known regarding de Armas' character as Dani does not exist in "The Gray
Man" novel.
It's possible her character is an amalgamation of others from the book or inspired by one
specific character, but the cast and crew are keeping quiet, for now.
One of the later additions to "The Gray Man" was "Bridgerton" scene-stealer
Regé-Jean Page.
The actor plays Denny Carmichael, a character pulled straight from the book.
Speaking to Elle, Page revealed,
"There's a lot of shadow and contrast to this character, it's something that I don't think
people have seen a lot of from me specifically before, which was great fun for me to play
with."
Denny is the head of CIA clandestine services, so we can expect a lot of mystery and sketchiness
surrounding the character.
The film marks the first project for Page since his shocking "Bridgerton" exit.
"The Gray Man" will prove if he's got what it takes to make it on the big screen.
Billy Bob Thornton plays Court Gentry's handler, Donald Fitzroy, in "The Gray Man."
Netflix revealed that Fitzroy recruited Gentry to join the Sierra program, and he's recently
been replaced as director.
As one of the only allies Six has left, Fitzroy is in just as much danger.
From what we know from "The Gray Man" novel, Fitzroy will be used by Lloyd Hansen and his
allies to lure in Six.
Filling out "The Gray Man" cast are a lot of recognizable names.
Oscar-nominee Alfre Woodard plays Margaret Cahill, an old friend of Gentry's
who might be his last resort in finding help outside the law.
Jessica Henwick stars as Suzanna Brewer, who works alongside Regé-Jean Page's Denny Carmichael.
Indian actor Dhanush will play Avik San, a deadly assassin who targets Six for an unknown
reason.
There were many takeaways from the first trailer for "The Gray Man."
The film seems to be reminiscent of many action franchises, such as "Mission: Impossible"
and "James Bond."
It looks like the movie will be fast-paced, but there will be comedic relief from Ryan
Gosling and Chris Evans, who have a few face-to-face moments in the trailer.
The trailer suggests that Lloyd catches up with Six at least twice in the film, with
a fist fight breaking out between the pair.
We can also expect a car chase or two, along with gun fights, explosions, and extensive
stunt work.
Ana de Armas's Dani Miranda and Gosling's Six appear together in the trailer, and it
looks as though their characters have come to trust one another.
Lloyd is as sociopathic as we expected, appearing to have no issues killing people, and with
his sights laser-focused on Six.
Billy Bob Thornton's Donald Fitzroy also gives the impression that Six is impossible to kill
and might be impossible to outwit.
Netflix is making history with "The Gray Man," which is the platform's biggest movie ever.
Deadline reported that the movie had a $200 million budget from the jump, which puts it
ahead of former title holder "Red Notice."
Initially, the Gal Gadot film reportedly had a budget of $160 million, but constant delays
from the COVID-19 pandemic jumped the price to around $200 million.
The record held by "The Gray Man" seems to be based on its initial budget and not from
add-ons along the way.
Plus, $200 million is a far cry from Netflix's other big-budget films like "The Irishman,"
which cost $159 million, "6 Underground," which came in at $150 million, and "Outlaw
King," which cost $120 million.
According to Joe Russo, a huge budget was essential in order to make "The Gray Man"
as spectacular as any action movie that would be released exclusively in theaters.
Russo even teased to Empire that viewers will feel that $200 million during the film's immense
action sequences.
It seems pretty likely that Netflix will be making another "The Gray Man" movie.
That was always the plan from the jump, with Joe Russo telling Deadline in July 2020,
"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."
There's also plenty of content to pull from, as Mark Greaney's "The Gray Man" series currently
stands at 11 books.
Anthony Russo also feels confident about moving forward with a "Gray Man" franchise, telling
The Wall Street Journal,
"['The Gray Man'] has a large ensemble, a layered story that you are only seeing the
tip of the iceberg [...] We have a lot of ideas about where to take it next."
The only thing that might deter a sequel is if the film fails to draw an audience.
However, with the Russo brothers at the helm, and Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling leading the
charge, it seems likely that "The Gray Man" will be a clear success.
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