Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling in Netflix’s most expensive film

The movie The Gray Man has reached a budget of more than $200 million, becoming, as of 2021, the most expensive new Netflix original film in its history, after Red Notice (2021), by Rawson Marshall Thurber, or The Irishman (2019), by Martin Scorsese. Filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo are responsible for directing this spy action movie starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.

The story is based on the 2009 book of the same name by Mark Greaney. The synopsis of IMDB details: When the CIA’s most skilled mercenary, whose true identity no one knows, accidentally uncovers the agency’s dark secrets, a psychopathic former colleague places a bounty on his head, sparking a global manhunt by international assassins.

“The intention is that it be competitive with any theatrical release, and the ability to do it with Gosling and Evans is a dream come true for us. The idea is to create a franchise and build an entire universe, with Ryan at the center. We’ve all committed to the first movie, and that has to be great to lead us into the second movie. These are master assassins, and the CIA is after Gosling’s character (Court Gentry), while Evans’s character (Lloyd Hansen) has to hunt him down. We have a great working relationship with Netflix, going back almost 20 years with Scott Stuber,” Joe Russo said, according to the Stillking Films production company website.

It is worth remembering that the Russo brothers have already worked with Evans on Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: Civil War and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While for Gosling it is his first multi-movie franchise role; he had previously turned down deals with Marvel and DC.

The Gray Man became a series of best-selling books and Gosling is expected to continue in the following installments. In the story created by Greaney, Court Gentry is known as The Gray Man, a legend in the underground realm, quietly moving from one job to another, achieving the impossible and then disappearing. But there are forces deadlier than him, so he must show that for him there is no gray area between killing for a living and killing to stay alive.

“The film is a true match between these two great actors who represent two different versions of the CIA, what it can be and what it can do,” Anthony Russo told dead line. “For those who were fans of Captain America, it’s us going into that territory in a more real environment. That’s what this movie really means to us.”

In a YouTube video, Gosling can be seen fighting on top of a moving bus (with a lock beard) and Evans sporting a stylish mustache.

With that money as a budget and seven years of development behind him, this thriller Netflix spy movie comes with some lofty expectations, not only because they hope it will become a franchise, but also because the cast also includes the Bond girl. Anne of Arms (No Time To Die), who will meet Ryan Gosling for the first time since blade runner 2049 and with Wagner Moura from Sergio (2020); Jessica Henwick (Game of thrones, Iron Fist ), the singular Billy Bob Thornton (Friday Night Lights, Fargo), Alfred Woodard (12 years of slavery) and more recently, the breakout star of The Bridgertons, Rege-Jean Page.

“We are not going to answer all the questions in the first installment. This is conceived as a series of movies And again, potentially branching out, we could follow other characters, but we’re not going to answer all the questions in the movie. So you’ll see it, you’ll have a complete story, but you’ll still have questions about the universe in general. And I think that’s one way to break the model a bit, is to not give the audience everything in one movie. It is not ideal to have a closed narrative, “explained Joe Russo to Collider.

After a delay due to the global pandemic situation, the Russos confirmed the start of production on March 16, 2020 in Los Angeles, further announcing that they also planned to film in Europe. “We have an amazing team and Netflix has been very supportive. The pandemic has not affected our location shoot,” said Joe Russo in December 2020 during the Comic-Con Experience (CCXP).

It is expected that The Gray Man premieres in July 2022 on the platform.

Curiosities

• Chris Evans was originally considered for the lead role and turned it down to play the villain.
• All the characters in the film wear Tag Heuer watches, continuing Gosling’s association with the luxury brand.
• It is the first time Evans has portrayed an antagonist in a Russo Brothers film, having previously portrayed the superhero Captain America several times in the MCU under his direction.