A stellar cast is rarely found on the cheap, but at least The Gray Man trailer leaves a solid impression of just why the upcoming action flick is Netflix's most expensive movie up to date, promising a healthy dose of car chase scenes, shootouts, lavish locations, and plenty of star power.
The Gray Man is based on the 2009 novel of the same name written by Tom Clancy veteran Mark Greaney, a series that has sparked a dozen books following former CIA mercenary Court Gentry as he navigates the treacherous waters of turning against his former employer. The film was picked by Netflix a couple of years ago and now stars Blade Runner 2049 duo Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas next to an all-star ensemble made up of Regé-Jean Page, Jessica Henwick, and Billy Bob Thorton, plus Chris Evans' suspicious-looking mustache making its grand Hollywood debut.
If The Gray Man gives off some serious Jason Bourne vibes, that’s possibly not a coincidence. However, here Gentry (Reynolds) gets a target put on his back as a former member of the CIA's Sierra program, a black ops venture bound to have some shady secrets. That’s precisely what seems to get Gentry on the wrong side of history as his former coworker Lloyd Hansen (Evans) is tasked with the mission of terminating him, though it seems like the runaway Sierra Six will be getting some help from agent Dani Miranda (de Armas) when the film comes out with a limited release on July 15, before moving on to Netflix streaming one week later on July 22.
For such a high-profile blockbuster, Netflix gave brothers Anthony and Joe Russo a hefty superhero budget of $200 million to bring some of that money-making Marvel magic. This is exactly what the company needs as Netflix continues to endure a tough time. The Gray Man seems to be gunning for a pretty wide appeal, as Indian superstar Danush (Asuran) and Brazilian actor Wagner Moura (Narcos) round off the rest of the cast.
Evans in particular will be no stranger to working under the direction of the Russo brothers, though it’s the first time his “trash stache” will show up in film after he first donned the look for the Broadway play Lobby Hero back in 2018. Naturally, Netflix will be aiming to turn The Gray Man into the sort of action hero franchise Taken became, which will also bode well for de Armas in her upcoming John Wick spinoff Ballerina, although the Russos have assured the film will have a self-fulfilling ending.
Luckily, The Gray Man is coming out soon, so it won’t have to go near Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible 7, whose first trailer was posted yesterday. While the style is different, it’s clear Ethan Hunt will leave a huge hole in the hearts of action fans, so maybe Court Gentry can be the one to fill that void.
The Gray Man will be available on Netflix starting July 22, 2022.
Source: Netflix | YouTube