Hammer says U.N.C.L.E. movie using Soderbergh’s script

Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIER is quoted as saying The Man From U.N.C.L.E. movie he’ll be doing uses the Scott Z. Burns script from 2011 that Steven Soderbergh was going to direct.

That script, set in the 1960s was based on a real-life 1966 incident that mirrored the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball.

An excerpt that includes Hammer commenting on the Illya Kuryakin role played by David McCallum in the original 1964-68 series:

“I’m also very excited about playing a Russian,” Armie added. “I’m in the middle of my research phase now. I’m studying the political climate during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was a fascinating time globally. It’s such a great script (by Scott Z. Burns), and it’s so funny! Guy Ritchie has such a great take on it.”

Hammer is also quoted in the story as saying filming begins in August. That raises the possibility the movie, if it becomes a reality, would be out in time for the television show’s 50th anniversary in 2014.

Soderbergh dropped out of the U.N.C.L.E. projct in late 2011. Warner Bros. assigned the project to Guy Ritchie to direct. Henry Cavill has said he’s playing Napoleon Solo, the character Robert Vaughn played in the television show. Warner Bros. hasn’t made an official announcement about the movie, but there have been reports it’s gearing up to be filmed in the U.K.

Most of the interview concerns The Lone Ranger movie where he plays the title character opposite Johnny Depp’s Tonto.

JUNE 19 POST: U.N.C.L.E. MOVIE SUPPOSEDLY GEARING UP IN THE U.K.

JUNE 8 POST: HENRY CAVILL HINTS THAT U.N.C.L.E. MOVIE WILL BE PERIOD PIECE

When Michael Jordan thought he was 007 material

Michael Jordan

It’s not just SPORTSWRITERS who like to compare former basketball star Michael Jordan. According to his agent, Jordan apparently thought he was 007 material in the early 1990s.

Bloomberg BusinessWeek, in its July 1 issue, features SPORTS AGENT DAVID FALK ON ITS “HOW DID I GET HERE PAGE? It’s an infographic featuring quotes from the subject, photos and a timeline.

There’s this quote from Falk in the 1992 section, related to when Falk founded Falk Associates Management Enterprises (or FAME):

“I told Michael, `You’re not an actor. If you’re ever going to be in a movie, you have to play the person you can play best. He said, `Who’s that? James Bond?’ I said, `No, Michael Jordan.'”

Jordan may have been kidding. The infographic doesn’t provide any additional information. The comment works as a joke because Jordan isn’t known for being humble (click HERE or HERE for examples) either as a successful basketball player (six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls) or a less successful baseball player and NBA team owner.

FEBRUARY 2013 POST: SPORTS ILLUSTRATED COMPARES MICHAEL JORDAN TO 007