The Gray Man is one of the most highly-anticipated Netflix Originals this year. Directed by the Russo brothers, the film stars a well-known ensemble cast, namely Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas and Rege-Jean Page among others, and has already garnered quite the buzz.
The upcoming $200 million espionage action thriller will see Gosling as a CIA veteran, the titular Gray Man, who is betrayed by the agency and is on the run. He is pursued by another CIA operative named Llyod Hansen, played by Evans, who is tasked with hunting the Gray Man down.
After Netflix released the first-look photos, fans were pretty pumped to see Evans’ distinguished moustache and scenes that promise Gosling in high-strung action sequences.
Known for having created a mark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with their ensemble films under The Avengers and the multiple spin-offs, the Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, admittedly found the transition pretty challenging. Joe said, “This movie almost killed us. There are like nine action sequences and it’s so relentless in that regard. It was relentless to make.”
The director duo has also spent a substantial amount of time brushing up their Jigsaw skills to make their character tropes shine through in the worst circumstances. Talking about how “character-oriented” they are, Anthony said, “We [Joe and Enthony] start all our exploration of action through character.”
They apparently trap their characters in “the worst possible place” to “test” their abilities and bring to the fore how “vulnerable”, “vigilant” or “disciplined” each character is.
The film will also star actors like Billy Bob Thornton, Wagner Moura, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush, Julia Butters, Eme Ikwuakor etc.
Currently, the Russo brothers are in no mood for a break as they are looking forward to an immediate sequel. Joe said, “The focus is to make Gray Man 2. Our appetite is voracious and the intention is always to do more than we can.”
The Gray Man has been pencilled in for a July 22nd, 2022 release.
