One of the most underrated films of the last few years is certainlyGuy Ritchie’s sexy spy thrillerThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.The film is basically a three-way flirtation romp betweenHenry Cavill,Armie Hammer, andAlicia Vikander, and it is an absolute delight. Ritchie hones in on a playful sensuality throughout that keeps the 60s spy action flighty, fun, and flirty, and Cavill, Hammer, and Vikander all have tremendous chemistry together. Unfortunately, while the film had starpower and a fun premise, audiences failed to show up in the numbers the movie deserved. Perhaps afraid of going against another comedic spy film inSpy, Warner Bros. shifted the film’s release date to August, but it ended up opening just a few weeks after the box office smashMission: Impossible – Rogue Nation—another terrific spy thriller with a fun, sexy tone. So maybe audiences just weren’t keen on a second go-around with this particular kind of movie so soon.
Regardless,The Man from U.N.C.L.E.absolutely deserves a sequel, so when Collider’s own Steve Weintraub spoke with Armie Hammer in anticipation of the actor’s new filmFree Fire, he asked what it would take to makeThe Man from U.N.C.L.E. 2a possibility. Surprisingly, Hammer revealed that a sequel script may already be in the works:
“I actually recently talked toLionel Wigram, the producer and co-writer with Guy, about aMan from U.N.C.L.E.sequel, and I was like, ‘Dude if you don’t start writing this script I’m gonna show up at your house and cut all of the tires of all of your cars, I swear to God.’ And he was like, ‘You know what? Fuck it. I’m just gonna do it, I’ll probably start writing it,’ and I was like, ‘Yes! Good! Start writing it!’ So if you haven’t yet, Lionel, checkmate. Start writing it!”
Warner Bros. has yet to formally commissionMan from U.N.C.L.E. 2, and the film’s $109.8 million worldwide gross against a reported budget of $75 million isn’t crazy encouraging from a studio standpoint, but the mere fact that Wigram is keen on writing a sequel is exciting enough. The first film ended in such a way as to set up further adventures for the Hammer/Cavill/Vikander trifecta, withHugh Grantserving as their handler, so one imagines dreaming up further adventures for these characters is a blast.
WillMan from U.N.C.L.E. 2actually happen? It’s unclear. Wigram is currently producingFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2and most recently wrote and produced Ritchie’s upcomingKing Arthur: Legend of the Sword, but the two are certainly in the studio’s good graces. Ritchie is in the midst of preparing to directDisney’s live-actionAladdin, having been handed the reigns of the high-profile musical, so maybe if that movie’s successful enough Ritchie can convince WB to giveMan from U.N.C.L.E. 2the greenlight.
One thing’s for sure: if aMan from U.N.C.L.E.sequel does happen, we have Hammer’s threats of destroying Wigram’s property to thank.
See Hammer’s comments in the video above, and if you missed what the actor told us about thoseGreen Lanternrumors,click here.
