One of the downsides to being a man in demand is that sometimes schedules clash like angry dogs and you have to let one project slip when another wins out. While we’re not 100% certain that’s the reason Bradley Cooper has decided to drop out of negotiations for Warner Bros. movie adaptation of spy TV show The Man From U.N.C.L.E., it might be a big factor.
It’s another blow for the film, which has already seen George Clooney skip taking on the role on Napoleon Solo (the part Cooper was then offered). Warners has been through the usual wide sweep looking to attract name talent, and Joel Edgerton is still rumoured as a possible Illya Kuryakin, Solo’s partner.
For those who don’t recall the original, U.N.C.L.E. was the light-hearted series that ran between 1964 and 1968 with Robert Vaughn as Solo and David McCallum as Kuryakin. The pair were international agents intent on stopping the evil machinations of diabolical outfit T.H.R.U.S.H., which constantly plotted to make things uncomfortable for the world. While the original show birthed spin-off The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. and a few expanded episodes shown in cinemas, this would be the first full-blown film version.
Right now, U.N.C.L.E. still has Steven Soderbergh attached to direct from Contagion writer Scott Z Burns’ script.