EXCLUSIVE: Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard and Bridgerton breakout star Regé-Jean Page have rounded out cast of the Russos’ The Gray Man starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana De Armas. Wagner Moura, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush and Julia Butters are also on board.
The Russos have been developing the project for some time at Sony, and when the package went back on the market over the summer, Netflix was quick to acquire it and set Gosling and Evans to star. The film will be the biggest-budget film in Netflix’s history on the feature side.
The production is starting in two weeks in Los Angeles. The film is a piece of the strong partnership Netflix and AGBO have garnered in the past year starting with Extraction, which premiered last April to some of the biggest viewing numbers in streamer history. They also worked on the critically acclaimed Mosul, which bowed in November on the streamer.
The Russos penned the script with a recent polish by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The Russos along with Mike Larocca will produce on behalf of AGBO along with Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Chris Castaldi through their Roth Kirschenbaum banner.
The Gray Man is based on the debut novel by Mark Greaney, published in 2009 by Jove Books. It also is the first novel to feature the Gray Man, freelance assassin and former CIA operative Court Gentry. The action thriller will follow Gentry (Gosling) as he’s hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Evans), a former cohort at the CIA. The film is based on the first installment of the series.
Thornton recently wrapped production on the fourth season of his Amazon series Goliath. He was also recently seen in the Sam Taylor-Johnson drama Million Little Pieces. He is repped by WME, Media Talent Group and Myman Greenspan Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light.
Page is best known for his breakout role in the Netflix series Bridgerton, which earned him a SAG and an NAACP Image Award for his individual performance, and recently signed on to star in the Paramount’s untitled Dungeons & Dragons pic. He was also appeared in the Amazon pic Sylvie’s Love. He is repped by CAA, Mosaic, The Artists Partnership, Ziffren Brittenham.
Woodard recently received rave reviews for the drama Clemency. She can be seen next in Sony’s Fatherhood opposite Kevin Hart. She is repped by ICM Partners, Circle of Confusion and Gochman Law.
The Russos and AGBO’s next film Cherry bows on Apple TV+ on Mar. 12 and stars Tom Holland. They are repped by CAA.