The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is a 2015 American action comedy adventure spy film directed by Guy Ritchie, and co-written by Lionel Wigram and Ritchie, based on the 1964 MGM television series of the same name, which was created by Ian Fleming, Norman Felton and Sam Rolfe. The film stars Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki with Jared Harris and Hugh Grant. The film premiered at London on August 7, 2015 and was released on August 14, 2015 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and grossed over $109 million worldwide on a $75 million budget. It also received a COFCA Award nomination for Actor of the Year and Breakthrough Film Artist. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 17, 2015 by Warner Home Video.
Plot
In 1963, professional thief turned CIA agent Napoleon Solo extracts Gaby Teller, daughter of Udo Teller, an alleged Nazi scientist turned United States collaborator at the end of World War II, from East Berlin, evading KGB operative Illya Kuryakin. He later reports to his superior, Saunders, who reveals that Teller’s uncle Rudi works in a shipping company owned by Alexander and Victoria Vinciguerra, a wealthy couple of Nazi sympathizers who intend to use Teller's father to build their own private nuclear weapon. Due to the potentially world-ending nature of this crisis, the CIA and KGB have reluctantly teamed up and Solo and Kuryakin are ordered to stop the Vinciguerras from succeeding, with both men secretly assigned to steal Udo Teller's research for their respective governments.
The trio travels to Rome, where Teller and Kuryakin pose as an engaged couple and Solo as an antiquities dealer. Solo deduces they are being monitored and instructs Kuryakin not to react to provocation so as to preserve this cover. Despite their hostilities towards each other, Kuryakin heeds his advice and does not react when his father’s prized watch is stolen. Later, at an auto racing event promoted by the Vinciguerras, Solo and Teller take turns flirting with the host couple to lure out information about Teller's father, while Kuryakin acquires evidence the Vinciguerras were recently exposed to radiation, indicating that their weapon is near completion.
Solo and Kuryakin begrudgingly join forces to break into a Vinciguerra shipping yard, in which they find traces of uranium. After accidentally setting off the alarm, they escape into the water only to find their way blocked. During the ensuing scuffle with the guards, Kuryakin nearly drowns in the waters but is saved by Solo. Although a suspicious Victoria pursues them with her henchmen, Solo and Kuryakin manage to slip past into their own rooms undetected, and Victoria and Solo spend the night together. The following day, Teller meets with Rudi and Alexander to discuss a job but unexpectedly betrays Kuryakin to them, forcing him to escape, while Solo is sedated and captured by Victoria and taken to a nearby warehouse to be tortured by Rudi. Solo is saved by Kuryakin, allowing Rudi to reveal that the weapon is hidden in an island fortress, where Teller has been reunited with her father. Udo pretends to resume work on the weapon to protect her, which has a secondary decoy that can home in on it for added impact, but although Teller attempts to help her father escape and sabotage the warhead, Victoria discovers the deception and kills him.
Meanwhile, Solo and Kuryakin are approached by Alexander Waverly, a high-ranking MI6 operative who reveals that Teller is an undercover agent under his employ. He and his Royal Marines help Solo and Kuryakin infiltrate the Vinciguerras’ compound. Alexander Vinciguerra attempts to escape with Gaby Teller and the warhead, but is intercepted and killed by the duo. However, the warhead Vinciguerra was taking with him was the decoy, allowing Victoria to leave undetected on another boat with the real one. Solo is able to contact her via radio and keep her on the line long enough for Waverly to locate her and launch the homing decoy, simultaneously destroying the weapon and the boat, taking Victoria with it, while Solo retrieves the disc with Teller’s father’s research.
Kuryakin confronts Solo in his hotel room, intending to kill him and steal the disc, but changes his mind when Solo produces his father’s watch, which he had retrieved. The two share a drink on the terrace and burn the contents of the disk, so as to not give either of their countries the upper hand in the arms race. They then reunite with Teller and Waverly, who reveals that the trio has been reassigned to a new international organization under his command. He then deploys them on a new mission in Istanbul under their new codename: U.N.C.L.E.
Cast
- Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo
- Armie Hammer as Ilya Kuryakin
- Alicia Vikander as Gabriella "Gaby" Teller
- Elizabeth Debicki as Victoria Vinciguerra
- Jared Harris as Saunders
- Hugh Grant as Alexander Waverly
- Luca Calvani as Alexander Vinciguerra
- Sylvester Groth as Uncle Rudi
- David Menkin as Jones
- Simona Caparrini as Contessa
- Misha Kuznetsov as Oleg
- Christian Berkel as Udo Teller
- David Beckham as Projectionist
Production
Development
Producer John Davis optioned the film rights to the 1960s TV series in 1993, setting up a development deal for an adaptation with Warner Bros. and series producer Norman Felton. Davis has estimated that he commissioned 12 or 14 different scripts over the course of 20 years, with writers Jim and John Thomas, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, and Scott Z. Burns. Quentin Tarantino was briefly attached following the success of Pulp Fiction, but opted to make Jackie Brown instead. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. continued to labor in development hell with directors Matthew Vaughn and David Dobkin. Steven Soderbergh was attached to direct Scott Z. Burns' screenplay, with production slated to begin in March 2012. Executives from Warner Bros. wanted the budget to stay below $60 million, but Soderbergh felt that amount would not be adequate to fund the 1960s-era sets, props, and international settings required for the film. Emily Blunt was nearly cast as the female lead, but Soderbergh departed in November 2011.
Guy Ritchie signed on in March 2013. On July 31, 2013, it was announced that Ritchie's adaptation would start filming in September 2013 in London and Italy. The final production budget was approximately $75 million US.
Casting
In November 2010, George Clooney showed interest in the film, and was in talks for the lead role of Napoleon Solo, but he left in September 2011 due to a recurring back injury. After Clooney's departure, actors including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling, Channing Tatum, Alexander Skarsgård, Ewan McGregor, Robert Pattinson, Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Michael Fassbender, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Kinnaman, Russell Crowe, Chris Pine, Ryan Reynolds, and Jon Hamm were considered for the lead role.On March 18, 2013, Tom Cruise was in early talks to take the lead in the film. Armie Hammer was cast in the second lead role as Illya Kuryakin on April 24, 2013, with Cruise set as Solo. Hammer's paternal great-grandmother was Russian-born actress and singer Olga Vadimovna Vadina (aka Von Root), the daughter of a tsarist general. His paternal Great-Grandfather, Armand Hammer was an American business manager and owner, most closely associated with Occidental Petroleum, a company he ran from 1957 until his death, though he was known as well for his art collection, his philanthropy, and for his close ties to the Soviet Union. Swedish actress Alicia Vikander joined the film on May 8, 2013, as the female lead. On May 23, 2013, Cruise dropped out of the film, due to his commitment to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. British actor Henry Cavill replaced Cruise. Elizabeth Debicki was cast in a femme fatale role on July 31, 2013; Rose Byrne and Charlize Theron were earlier considered for the same part. On August 8, 2013, Hugh Grant joined the cast as Alexander Waverly, the head of United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E). Jared Harris was cast as Saunders on September 4, 2013, and Luca Calvani was cast as a villain, Alexander. Simona Caparrini was also cast to play Contessa.
Filming
Principal photography on the film commenced on September 9, 2013. In October 2013, filming was being under way at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, Royal Victoria Docks, London and Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit in West Sussex, UK.
Filming took place in various locations throughout Italy, including the Gulf of Naples, and Baiae Castle. Kuryakin and Teller's first outings as an assumed couple were shot at just below the Spanish Steps; the Grand Hotel Plaza, in Via del Corso; and in the gardens of antic Theater of Marcellus.
Two locations stood in place for Berlin sites on either side of the wall: the public toilet fight between Solo and Kuryakin was shot in Regent's Park in London, while the car chase during the movie's first act was shot in Chatham Historic Dockyard, Kent UK.
Director Guy Ritchie finalized the script throughout production: "He’s quite intuitive and tends to constantly rewrite stuff, which he does even when they’re shooting. He’ll rewrite things in the morning if they’re shooting that day, working with the actors if something doesn’t feel right." says long term collaborator David Allcock.
Music
The musical score for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was composed by Daniel Pemberton. A soundtrack album was released by WaterTower Music on August 7, 2015.
Release
The film was originally set for a January 16, 2015 release, but on August 12, 2014, Warner Bros moved the film's release date to August 14, 2015.
Home media
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 17, 2015 by Warner Home Video.
