Clooney ankles U.N.C.L.E.! Blimey, came over all Variety-speak there for a moment. Sorry about that... But apparently it’s true, at least according to Deadline: George Clooney has decided not to star for old mucker Steven Soderbergh in his film version of the cult spy TV show.
While he’d never quite been 100% confirmed, it was speculated that the Cloonester would reunite with his Solaris/Ocean’s director for the movie, which Soderbergh still apparently intends to set in the 1960s for a classic Bond feel, albeit with a likely lighter tone as befitting the original series.
So now the director will need to find a new Napoleon Solo to star as well as locking in an Illya Kuryakin to battle the evils of THRUSH (we suggest a strong cream). Perhaps Channing Tatum, who Soderbergh enjoyed working with so much on action thriller Haywire that he’s decided to slot a whole new film collaboration based on the actor’s idea (stripper pic Magic Mike) into his schedule, could be in with a shot, though he’s likely too busy with the next G.I. Joe outing.
With a script by Contagion’s Scott Z Burns, U.N.C.L.E. is currently still the next planned production sitting in Soderbergh’s diary, with Magic Mike and Liberace set for after that, before the filmmaker retires as announced. Or not. There seems to be some debate on that front…