Ryan Gosling To Star In The Gray Man Sequel, Russo Brothers Developing Cinematic Universe

Less than a week after debuting on Netflix, the streaming service has announced that they have a sequel in the works, and will be expanding it's cinematic universe.

Via Deadline:

Even before Netflix releases opening-weekend audience numbers later today that will likely point to record audience engagement in 92 countries, the streamer has put in motion a sequel to The Gray Man, with Gosling returning to the title role and Joe & Anthony Russo again directing. They’ll produce with AGBO’s Mike Larocca and Roth Kirschenbaum Films’ Joe Roth and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum. Stephen McFeeley, who co-wrote the original from the Mark Greaney novel with his Avengers scripting partner Christopher Markus, is writing this one solo.

Following the release of The Gray Man this weekend where it debuted as the No. 1 movie on the streamer in 92 countries and got a 91% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Netflix might have the 007-style spy franchise it was looking for and paid over $200 million to blow up Prague in Gosling’s mano a mano match against Chris Evans.

Netflix and AGBO are also developing a Gray Man spinoff, also based on the book series. They are keeping the specifics under wraps but they’ve got Deadpool and Zombieland scribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese aboard as the screenwriters.

Even though there was plenty of action in the film, and Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas did a great job with the material they were given, I'm still trying to figure out where exactly did the $200 million dollar budget go into the film?

Because quiet as it's kept, some of the CGI in the film was a little wonky, and Rege Jean Page's bad acting worked my root canal nerve ( I'm starting to rethink my consideration that his name should be thrown in the hat for being up for the future James Bond).

With that being said (and I'm sure you all have heard about the financial and subscriber drama surrounding Netflix), The Gray Man series definitely has potential, but in my opinion should take more of a John Wick approach.

What I mean by that is make these films on a smaller budget, focus more on story and world building, and really push the envelope when it comes to action. We know the Russo Brothers have it in them based on what they did with Captain America Winter Soldier and the final two Avengers films.

So if they work out the weak parts of the original film, I'll definitely check out the sequel and spinoffs.