Following the wildly successful release of The Gray Man this past weekend, where it debuted as the #1 movie in 92 countries, Netflix has announced it will be cementing plans for the IP to become a major spy franchise.
The Gray Man is CIA operative Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), aka, Sierra Six. Plucked from a federal penitentiary and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), Gentry was once a highly-skilled, Agency-sanctioned merchant of death. But now the tables have turned and Six is the target, hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former cohort at the CIA, who will stop at nothing to take him out. Agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas) has his back. He’ll need it.
Ryan Gosling is The Gray Man and Chris Evans is his psychopathic adversary in the Netflix/AGBO-produced thriller directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, starring Ana de Armas, with Regé-Jean Page, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush, Wagner Moura and Alfre Woodard. Based on the novel The Gray Man by Mark Greaney, the screenplay is by Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The producers are Joe Roth, Jeffery Kirschenbaum, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Mike Larocca and Chris Castaldi. Executive producers are Patrick Newall, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Jake Aust, Angela Russo-Otstot, Geoff Haley, Zack Roth, and Palak Patel.
“The audience reaction to The Gray Man has been nothing short of phenomenal. We are so appreciative of the enthusiasm that fans across the world have had for this film. With so many amazing characters in the movie, we had always intended for the Gray Man to be part of an expanded universe, and we are thrilled that Netflix is announcing a sequel with Ryan, as well as a second script that we’re excited to talk about soon,” said Joe and Anthony Russo.
Here's what we know so far...
- A sequel to The Gray Man, which is already a fan favorite with a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, is now in development with star Ryan Gosling and directors Joe and Anthony Russo set to return. The Russos and AGBO’s Mike Larocca will produce along with Joe Roth and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum for Roth Kirschenbaum Films.
- The Gray Man co-writer Stephen McFeely (The Electric State, Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: Civil War) is the confirmed writer.
- A spin-off film, written by acclaimed screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Deadpool, Zombieland) is set to explore a different element of The Gray Man universe. The logline is being kept under wraps.
The Gray Man is based on the best-selling book series by Mark Greaney. This is the third film from AGBO to premiere on Netflix, and the company’s second consecutive debut at #1 worldwide, with a sequel to follow. AGBO's, 2020’s Extraction starring Chris Hemsworth, [is the 5th most popular film on Netflix] has a sequel to be released on Netflix in 2023.