A Sequel for ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ Is Currently Underway
While the words “period action” and “Guy Ritchie” don’t always go over well with critics, there’s no denying that Ritchie’s 2015 film The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a cut above the rest. Led by an all-star cast that included Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, and Alicia Vikander, U.N.C.L.E. runs with its Cold War setting and creates a stylish and — dare I say — sexy story of international intrigue and the dapper spies who saved the world from nuclear annihilation. Unfortunately for its fans, the movie didn’t do particularly well at the box office, only grossing about $110 million worldwide against a $75 million budget. That’s not exactly money that screams sequel, if you know what I mean.
But! But, it turns out that not only might The Man From U.N.C.L.E. get a second chance to prove itself with audiences, the sequel is actively being written as you read this. In a recent interview with /Film, star Armie Hammer broke the news that screenwriter Lionel Wigram had given into peer pressure and is currently working on a follow-up:
I called Lionel Wigram, the producer of the movie, and he and Guy produced it and wrote it all together. I was like, ‘Dude, what’s the deal? I get asked about this s--- all the time. Can you just write a sequel?’ He was like, ‘You know what? Yeah, f--- it, I’ll do it. Sure, I’ll write a sequel.’ I was like, ‘If you write one, I’m sure we can get one made,’ so who knows? Today is the first day I’ve actually told anyone that story. I only told one other person who asked. Apparently, the sequel is being written right now. No pressure, Lionel!
In hindsight, we probably shouldn’t be too surprised by this news. Once a studio owns the rights to a property, they’re loathe to let it go, choosing to throw good money after bad in an effort to try and squeeze blood from an orange. It’s also worth noting that while The Man From U.N.C.L.E. wasn’t a smash hit, the television mini-series The Night Manager certainly was, proving that audiences will respond to movies about super-handsome spies in impeccably tailored suits as long as the action and the story are right. With Cavill and Hammer more visible than ever, this might be the rare sequel that finds the audience the first movie missed… that is, if the movie ever finds its way into production. A lot can happen between a profane telephone conversation and the actual production of an eight-figure movie, you know. No pressure, Lionel!