Moviefone Editorial

Tag: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

  • Guy Ritchie Directing Disney’s Live-Action ‘Hercules’

    Walt Disney Pictures' 1997 animated film, 'Hercules.'
    Walt Disney Pictures’ 1997 animated film, ‘Hercules.’

    Eyebrows were understandably raised when Disney hired Guy Ritchie to direct its live action take on ‘Aladdin‘. He was, after all, better known for his crime dramas and comedies, and aside from his ‘Sherlock Holmes’ movies, his attempts at bigger franchise films – ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ and ‘live. – either hadn’t won much praise (Arthur) or stumbled at the box office (U.N.C.L.E.).

    Yet the results speak for themselves, and ‘Aladdin’ ended up being Ritchie’s most successful movie at the box office, with more than $1 billion in the bank. Everyone is naturally inclined to show a little more confidence then, upon learning that the director is now on board the studios’ planned new take on ‘Hercules’.

    The 1997 cartoon version followed the recognizable Greek myth-based narrative of Hercules (Tate Donovan), the son of Zeus and Hera, who is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero to reclaim it.

    It was, per Disney custom at the time loaded with songs and sidekicks, and there’s every chance that the studio is looking to replicate that, albeit with real people and a hefty effects budget.

    This ‘Hercules’ has been in the works for a while, with ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’ directors Joe and Anthony Russo producing via their AGBO company. ‘Shang-Chi’ and ‘Expendables’ writer Dave Callaham has worked on a draft of the screenplay, but Disney is in the process of hiring other writers to take a crack, and we’d imagine Ritchie, who has a writing credit on ‘Aladdin’ alongside John August, will have his own input.

    Will Smith in Guy Ritchie's 'Aladdin.'
    Will Smith in Guy Ritchie’s ‘Aladdin.’

    Ritchie is a busy man of late. He followed ‘Aladdin’ with the sort of chatty criminal caper that helped launch his career in ‘The Gentlemen’, then pivoted into action thriller territory with ‘Wrath of Man’, starring Jason Statham.

    The director stuck with his old pal Statham for upcoming action comedy ‘Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre’ which also stars Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Hugh Grant, and Eddie Marsan in the story of a Hollywood actor recruited to help take down the sale of a deadly weapon. ‘Operation Fortune’ is due in theaters this year.

    And he’s followed that with ‘The Interpreter’, in which Jake Gyllenhaal plays Sergeant John Kinley, a soldier in Afghanistan whose life is saved by the local interpreter (Dar Salim’s Ahmed) with whom he’s teamed when a mission becomes violent. After his return to the States, John learns that Ahmed and his family haven’t been granted passage out of Afghanistan, so he heads back to help them escape before local militia fighters can close in.

    Finally, there’s the small matter of a sequel to ‘Aladdin’, which Disney has in development, but is likely to be overtaken by any movement on ‘Hercules’, assuming Ritchie is interested in coming back to that world. And any discussion about an ‘Aladdin; follow-up naturally includes the question of whether Will Smith would be asked back to play the genie again.

    Next up for the company in terms of movies adapted from its animated output is ‘Pinocchio’, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, due on Disney+ on September 8th.

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  • ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Tops Box Office for Second Week

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    “Straight Outta Compton” easily outperformed three new movies to remain the American box office leader for a second week, according to estimates Sunday.

    The biopic about the rap group N.W.A. brought in another $26.7 million over the weekend to bring its total to more than $111 million.

    The next film was a holdover, Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation,” with $11.7 million for second.

    Of the new wide releases, the horror pic “Sinister 2” brought in $10.6 million for third and “Hitman: Agent 47” had $8.2 million for fourth while “America Ultra” collected only $5.5 million for sixth despite the reunion of “Adventureland’s” Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg.

    “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” finished fifth in its second week with $7.4 million.

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  • ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Surges to $60 Million Opening

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    The hip-hop biopic “Straight Outta Compton” beat all expectations to debut with $60 million at the box office, according to Sunday estimates.

    The film about the emergence of N.W.A. rap stars Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E became the biggest R-rated opener in August, topping “American Pie 2,” and left “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” far behind in third place with $13.5 million.

    “The movie tapped into something in our culture and that made it more of a must-see,” Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, tells Variety. Weekend estimates of a $56.1 million opening were upgraded to $60 million by Monday.

    The movie also benefited from good reviews, the viral success of the “Straight Outta …” meme, aggressive marketing, and the huge social media followings by the rap artists.

    “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” kept rolling in second place with $17 million in its third week. “Fantastic Four” plummeted 69 percent in its second week to collect $8 million in fourth while “The Gift” showed some staying power with $6.5 million in the fifth slot.

    “Ricki and the Flash” also lost only about a third of its audience in week two, coming in behind “Ant-Man,” “Vacation” and “Minions” in ninth place. “Trainwreck” was 10th.

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  • Alicia Vikander Shows Jimmy Fallon Swedish Partying Traditions

    Let the party begin! Alicia Vikander hasn’t forgotten where she comes from.

    The stunning Swedish actress tells Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” Friday that she was recently home for a huge party called Midsummer. The holiday, she says, is more popular than New Year’s Eve.

    “It’s our biggest holiday,” she explains. “Last year there’s like a couple thousand people that meet up in Central Park and they dance around this Maple [tree] as frogs.”

    She says that most of her friends think she’s joking when she tells them this, but she’s dead serious.

    “You can go to YouTube and it’s happening. You can watch them each year in Central Park,” she says.

    The dance that the revelers participate in is something that all Swedish people know. It’s a famous dance (which she even taught the late night host.)

    “It’s a great dance, and everyone who’s between five and 95 in Sweden knows this dance and does it every year,” she says.

    Midsummer, though, has already past, so she’s gearing up for crayfish season, another time of celebration. The frog dance need not apply in this one.

    “You drink a lot of [shots] and sing a lot of quite dirty songs,” she explains of crayfish party festivities.

    Vikander stars in the “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” which opens in theaters Friday.

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  • Henry Cavill Says ‘Tense’ Action Scenes in ‘U.N.C.L.E’ ‘Felt Fun’

    If the action shots in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” look amusing, just imagine how entertaining it was to film them!

    “It was just so much fun to be outdoors and sprinting around on motorbikes … or in a boat,” the film’s costar Henry Cavill, who plays Solo, tells Made in Hollywood. “It felt fun.”

    Even when filming started to weigh a little on the cast, there weren’t moments they frowned upon from the experience.

    “With a lot of action days, they can be slightly tense,” Cavill explains. “But again, [director] Guy [Ritchie] is really great about breaking that tension and making the whole thing enjoyable. And not wasting time!”

    Catch Cavill and fellow star Armie Hammer in theaters today, as opposing agents who put aside their differences to help stop a mysterious international criminal organization.

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  • Elizabeth Debicki Says Her Bad Girl Role is a ‘Gift’

    She’s not into playing nice!

    “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” actress Elizabeth Debicki says playing sexy villainous Victoria Vinciguerra in the Guy Ritchie-directed film was a dream come true.

    “I really wanted to play a villain, because, I mean, bad guys just have a lot of fun,” the actress tells Made in Hollywood.

    Calling the responsibilities of playing the bad girl a “gift,” Debicki goes on to say that when someone hands you that opportunity, “you just get to sort of create, and you can be outrageous in your sort of moral stance or your lack of whatever. There’s a lot of license to play as an actor.”

    Catch the femme fatale in action, when the film – starring Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as opposing agents who put aside their differences to help stop a mysterious international criminal organization – hits theaters today.

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  • Henry Cavill’s Super Sexy Workout Plan

    Henry Cavill truly is the Man of Steel.

    When asked about how he maintains his impressive physique during a chat Wednesday on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the “Batman Vs. Superman” star’s cheeky response implied that the gym isn’t the only place he prefers to break a sweat.

    “I run, that’s the savory answer,” the 32-year-old responds, with a wry smile. As the audience laughs, nervously, he adds, “I think they get it.”

    Blush.

    The Brit heartthrob generally stays in shape year-round for movies, but during a hiatus, he also takes a break from his diet. “I tend to be off-season,” he says.

    “I work really hard at getting fat,” he explains, adding that he begins shooting DC Comics’ “Justice League” in January. “I put weight on and lose it again before we start shooting… If I’m mass building I’ll eat burgers and stuff.”

    Right now, for instance, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” star is about to begin his off-season, so he’s keen on having a cold Guinness beer, something that he says he craves when he’s on a diet.

    As for how he’ll burn off those calories later, well, he’ll let you use your imagination for that.

    “The Man from U.N.C.L.E” is in theaters on Aug. 14.

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  • Does ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ Provide More Than Just Eye Candy? Critics Weigh In

    There’s no question that “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” packs a punch in the looks department. The Guy Ritchie-directed film stars Henry Cavill and equally handsome Armie Hammer as opposing agents who put aside their differences to help stop a mysterious international criminal organization.

    But where the film gains in eye candy (you also can’t forget about gorgeous starlet Alicia Vikander), does it lack in everything else?

    Rotten Tomatoes gives the fresh take on the popular ‘60s TV series a 64 percent rating, with critics arguing that the fashion in the film is fierce, but the acting and plot are subpar.

    “‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ is an action movie that’s a little bit ashamed to be an action movie. It’s a seduction played out on the audience, and it works. It may a thin, it even may be a little forgettable, but it’s a good-time film for a good-time evening, and leaves you with only the sexiest sort of guilt.” — William Bibbiani, CraveOnline.com

    “It’s the type of film that’s more interested in having side characters say pretty things like ‘I’m on a strict diet of champagne and caviar,’ and making sure model-like hotel clerks submit within minutes of casual propositions, than it is in its main story.” — Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press

    But for some, the film is near flawless.

    “It is one of those rare birds that manages to take the source material and do right by its predecessor, while having its own fun creating a unique avenue of enjoyment. The chemistry between the three leads is magnificent, and the film doesn’t run so much as glide through its entirety; taking you, the audience, along for the ride.” — Mike Reyes, CinemaBlend.com

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  • Check Out the Behind-the-Scenes Mayhem on ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ Set

    Check Out the Behind-the-Scenes Mayhem on ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ Set

    Cars swerve, crash and tumble. Boats and motorcycles go airborne. People get tossed into the water.

    And that’s just a start.

    “Things could get a little messy,” says special agent Henry Cavill in this new sneak-peek video that goes behind-the-scenes on the set of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”

    The slick and sophisticated PG-13 action film, based on an old TV show, follows two top agents from the United Network Command for Law Enforcement as they fight all sorts of enemies, mainly evil-doers from something called THRUSH.

    Opening Aug. 14, the movie also stars Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki and Hugh Grant.

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  • How a Masseur Helped Armie Hammer with His Russian Accent

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    Armie Hammer on “Conan”

    Many actors turn to voice coaches to perfect an accent for a role, but Armie Hammer took a less conventional route to convincingly sound Russian in “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”

    “You just go on and type into YouTube ‘Russian,’” he tells Conan O’Brien Wednesday on “Conan.” “Of course, if you spend that long on YouTube, you end going down a deep wormhole. You end up on weird videos and it’s no good.”

    During the “Social Network” star’s research on the website, he found a familiar face—and voice—in a massage therapist he previously worked with who had instructional massage videos. Hammer studied the masseur’s voice to portray a Cold War era spy in “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”

    “He’s just a character,” he says. “He has such a beautiful old Russian accent.”

    The 28-year-old thought he mastered the accent, especially after a Russian journalist told him it was “too bad,” but his attitude didn’t play well in the actual country when he visited.

    “I’m a happy guy, I smile a lot,” he explains. In Russia, though, he noticed nobody was smiling back, so he asked a bodyguard who was native to the land what the issue was. The bodyguard’s response, according to Hammer: “If you smile too much, people think you have a bad brain.”

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