Armie Hammer may join the cast of a movie version of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and play Illya Kuryakin, according to A STORY on the Deadline Hollywood Web site.
An excerpt from the story:
EXCLUSIVE: Armie Hammer, who plays the title character opposite Johnny Depp in the Gore Verbinski-directed The Lone Ranger for Disney, is set to star with Tom Cruise in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., the remake of the classic TV series that Guy Ritchie will direct for Warner Bros.
(snip)
Hammer would play a version of the role originated by (David) McCallum, an NCIS regular who strangely doesn’t seemed to have aged since the ’60s.
This story raises a few questions. Deadline’s PREVIOUS STORY on the subject said Tom Cruise was in talks but made it sound like nothing had been settled. The new story almost makes it sound like it’s a done deal. Is it? Or are there some more twists in store?
Also, Deadline has never said if Cruise, should he join the project, play Napoleon Solo, the character played by Robert Vaughn in the original television series. The character was co-created by Norman Felton and Ian Fleming with the rest of the series, including the U.N.C.L.E. organization and the Kuryakin character, devised by Sam Rolfe.
Filed under: The Other Spies | Tagged: A movie version of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.?, Armie Hammer, David McCallum, Ian Fleming, Nikki Finke's Deadline Web site, Norman Felton, Robert Vaughn, Sam Rolfe, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, The Other Spies, Tom Cruise, TV spy shows, Warner Bros. |
So, . . .Really?
The 5′, 7″ Tom Cruise will be Solo partnered with the 6′,5″ Armie Hammer as Illya???
In the original series, both Solo and Illya were around 5′, 9″ with Illya an inch or two shorter than Solo.
Now we’re to be treated to the sight of Solo walking with an Illya who looms above him by a whopping 10 inches? Nearly a full foot taller?
I don’t think so. But then, I’m not a casting genius at Warners pulling in a six figure salary for “boffo” ideas like this one.
James
Maybe Tom Cruise can play Mr. Waverly….
I certainly agree Cruise is the wrong man to play Solo. Then again, Hollywood is only make-believe:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8577019/Hollywoods-shortest-actors.html