From The Telegraph
George Clooney is in talks to star in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. remake directed by Steven Soderbergh.

By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor 3:02PM GMT 19 Nov 2010

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The actor would play agent Napoleon Solo, a role taken by Robert Vaughan in the original 1960s television series.

Clooney is a long-time collaborator with Soderbergh on films including Out of Sight, Syriana, Michael Clayton and the Ocean's Eleven series.

The two have met to discuss the Napoleon Solo role, according to The Hollywood Reporter, although the project is still in the early stages of development.

The original series about two secret agents for the United Network Command of Law and Enforcement ran from 1964-68, with British actor David McCallum starring alongside Vaughn as Illya Kuryakin.

Ian Fleming, the James Bond author, was one of the early creators of the series and came up with the name of Napoleon Solo. He also suggested that the show have a Miss Moneypenny-style secretary called April Dancer. The name was used in The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., a spin-off starring Stefanie Powers as a female agent.

Warner Bros has been working on a big screen adaptation since the 1990s and Soderbergh is in early talks to join the project. He is currently shooting Contagion, an action thriller starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Kate Winslet.

Matt Damon Says Steven Soderbergh's Retirement is Imminent

December 22, 2010

Back when we heard George Clooney was potentially up for leading Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. for the big screen, there were rumblings that the project was being viewed as the last film on which the actor and director would collaborate. Now it sounds like that train of thought may be taken a little further in that the adaptation of the 60's TV series may be Soderbergh's last film altogether. In speaking with Matt Damon, who's been working with Soderbergh's on Contagion, 24 Frames learned that the director has grown weary of cinematic storytelling and will likely make good on his talk of retirement very soon.

Damon says, "He's retiring, he's been talking about it for years and it's getting closer." Seemingly confirming George Clooney's collaboration with Soderbergh on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Damon had this to say about Soderbergh's future in filmmaking:

"He’s kind of exhausted with everything that interested him in terms of form. He’s not interested in telling stories. Cinema interested him in terms of form and that’s it. He says, 'If I see another over-the-shoulder shot, I’m going to blow my brains out.' After this movie we’re doing ‘Liberace’ next summer with Michael Douglas, and then he might do one more movie after that with George [Clooney], and then after that he’s retiring."

However, Damon seems to be trying to convince him otherwise, and aspires to follow in his footsteps as a great director:

"After I worked with Clint [Eastwood] I went back and said, ‘Look, Clint is having a blast and he's going to be 80 years old.’ And Steven says back, ‘Yeah, but he’s a storyteller and I’m not,’ If you're an actor or a writer or someone working in film, it's such a waste. For me, I'm going to spend the next 40 years trying to become a great director and I will never reach what he's reached. And he's walking away from it."

I can understand Soderbergh becoming bored with the traditions of filmmaking, and he's been trying to shake things up with lower profile experimental indie projects like The Girlfriend Experience and Bubble, but apparently that's not enough. Some people just get bored with their current jobs, and no matter how creative or inspiring Soderbergh's work in film has been, we can't blame him for wanting to climb another mountain outside of the film industry. Personally, I hope The Man from U.N.C.L.E. comes together spectacularly so Soderbergh's leaves on good terms. We'll certainly miss him when he leaves. Anyone disappointed?

From indiewire

[from an interview with Steven Soderbergh]
‘U.N.C.L.E’ is something he hopes George Clooney will star in. “That’s the hope,” he said, not wanting to count his chickens before they are hatched. “You know, we stay and touch and we talk obviously and he seems like the perfect fit for the role.”

George Clooney Dropping Out of Steven Soderbergh's 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'

EXCLUSIVE: I’m hearing that George Clooney is in the process of withdrawing as the star of Steven Soderbergh’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Still trying to get a clear sense of the reason for the exit of Clooney, who is Soderbergh’s former partner and did the Ocean’s Eleven films and Out of Sight with the director. I’m told that Warner Bros intends to stay on track for a February 2012 start for the movie, which is based on the 1960s light spy drama starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. Soderbergh is putting U.N.C.L.E. together as he prepares for the release of Warners’ Contagion, which stars Matt Damon and is being released Sept. 9.

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From The press association

Casting open for U.N.C.L.E sidekick
(UKPA) – 10 hours ago
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling and Alexander Skarsgard are reportedly battling it out to star in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

George Clooney has just dropped out of starring as Napoleon Solo in Steven Soderbergh's spy drama, but TheWrap.com reports Warner Brothers is busy seeking an actor in his 20s to play sidekick Illya Kuryakin.

David McCallum played the young spy in the 60s TV series, who learned from his partnership with veteran Napoleon, played by Robert Vaughn, as they worked together at fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement agency U.N.C.L.E.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. the movie is scheduled to start production in February 2012.

Warner Bros has been trying to get the film off the ground for several years, and the project is expected to give the story a "fresh start", reportedly focusing on making it abuddy movie between the two spies.

The three actors have all become big names, Joseph having starred in Christopher Nolan's box office smash Inception, True Blood's Alexander appearing in Lars Von Trier's upcoming Melancholia and Ryan Gosling winning rave reviews for Blue Valentine and more recently Drive.

Seth Gecko wrote:Seems that this film is dead in the water right now.

Shame, as GC would have been perfect for Napoleaon Solo. Now Soderburgh and Bradley cooper have pulled out, it seems that U.N.C.L.E. seems destined to stay in the past.

D

Plot Summary

Way2Old4Dis wrote:Oh. Forgot.

'Straight Outta Compton' is, no debate, a culturally important film, and I'm glad to know it's performing so well. But NWA was as misogynist as anybody could be, and Dr. See in particular lived that misogyny by his often physically brutal treatment of women. So I won't be paying to see this one. If and when it comes to a viewing venue that I'm already paying for, maybe then.

And as a baseball fan, I'm appalled at the White Sox cap that EazyE is wearing in scenes from 1986 -- that particular logo wasn't used until about 5 years later.