Henry Cavill will surprise fans with his witty performance as Napoleon Solo in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie, cinematographer John Mathieson has revealed.
The Man Of Steel star is taking on the role made famous by Robert Vaughn in the hit sixties spy series, which is being remade by director Guy Ritchie for the big screen.
John, who has worked on films including Gladiator and X-Men: First Class, has been working as director of photography on the project with Guy, and described Henry as a "peacock".
Speaking at the launch of the new Samsung Curved UHD screen TV in London he said: "I thought Henry was terrific.
"He plays it quite humorously, everything's slightly quirky, slightly sharp. It was very comic strip in some ways, I mean that in a good way.
"He plays it very differently [to Superman], this is much more earthbound. He's a peacock, and he's very funny. I thought he was great."
John also revealed Guy's reimagining of American TV show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - which is rumoured to feature a cameo from David Beckham - has a strong British vibe, and was shot to emphasise the style of the sixties.
"Guy's very British, isn't he?" he said. "It's definitely his sensibilities and humour, so it's got a very British feel."
John added: "We filmed in London on a digital camera but we were trying to give it more of a sixties feel.
"It's a very good looking film, it's set in the sixties, it's very chic.
"So in some ways we were using old lenses and things to deteriorate the image. However what we did has a certain flavour to it, and that has to be screened so the cinema goer or viewer at home can see what we were trying to do. Not everything has to be bright and colourful and full of light. There's mood and there's atmosphere and there's softness.
"We're just finishing off some bits and pieces. Guy's still cutting, he's very close to finishing. I'm not sure when the release is, we've got to do some post production to get that sixties look really right."
Speaking about Samsung's new Curved TV, John admitted it really was like watching a home cinema.
He said: "It's like a compressed cinema screen. When you look into it you can see little people in little rooms running around the city. It has this incredible depth of feel to it. It is an experience.
"I'd rather people went to the cinema, but if you're going to watch films at home, watch them on one of these please."
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Scott Z. Burns talks about Steven Soderbergh's involvement with U.N.C.L.E. with Collider.com.
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THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
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To learn more about the history of the 35 years it took to bring U.N.C.L.E. to the big screen read the Variety article here by Jon Burlingame.
Principal photography began on September 9 on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” The film is the first to be made under filmmaker Guy Ritchie’s and producer Lionel Wigram’s new production shingle, Ritchie/Wigram Productions. Having successfully re-imagined the classic detective Sherlock Holmes in two hit films, the pair now bring their fresh take on the hugely popular 1960s television series by bringing super spies Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin to the big screen.
“Guy and I have long loved these characters, and wanted to start from scratch with our own take and create a film steeped in the 1960s for today’s audiences”
Lionel wigram
Henry Cavill stars as Napoleon Solo opposite Armie Hammer as Illya Kuryakin, alongside stars Alicia Vikander as British agent Gaby Teller, Luca Calvani as Alexander Vinciguerra, Elizabeth Debicki as Victoria Vinciguerra, Jared Harris as Sanders, Christian Berkel as the missing scientist, Jonathan Nadav as young Napoleon Solo and Hugh Grant as Alexander Waverly. “We are particularly happy about our cast, who all bring something special to the film. Henry, Armie, Alicia and Elizabeth are among the best and most exciting actors of the next generation. In addition, we are thrilled to be working with Hugh Grant, who we have known and been fans of for many years, and Jared Harris, who did such a great job for us as Moriarty.
”Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” centers on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, auto mechanic Gaby Teller who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe. The affair takes them to the Italian Grand Prix where they encounter Victoria Vinciguerra, the heir to a smuggling operation started during WWII, with a taste for torture, now dealing in nuclear weapons. The U.N.C.L.E. team eventually find themselves in a spectacular battle at Vinciguerra's castle-like fortress that culminates in high speed chase into the nearby forest for what appears to be the final confrontation.
The screenplay is written by Ritchie and Wigram, who also serve as producers. John Davis (“Chronicle”) and Steve Clark-Hall (“RocknRolla,” the “Sherlock Holmes” films) are also producing. David Dobkin is executive producer. Ritchie’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes two-time Oscar®-nominated director of photography John Mathieson (“Gladiator”), production designer Oliver Scholl (“Jumper”), editor James Herbert (the “Sherlock Holmes” films), Oscar®-nominated costume designer Joanna Johnston (“Lincoln”) and Oscar®-winning key makeup and hair designer Sarah Monzani (“Quest for Fire,” upcoming “Edge of Tomorrow”).Filming will take place in England, with location filming also in Italy, in Rome and Naples.A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
The UNCLE Files
Jared Harris talks about his role in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
They’ve learned. I actually got things unmade because I showed a little interest in them, but never quite go all the way, and they don’t want to move on. I did that with The Man From UNCLE every time somebody new got the rights. They’ve probably learned not to call me, they know I write my own shit. Quentin Tarantino
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Opting to retain the initial property’s Cold War context, with all its cultural and political touchstones, Ritchie says, “It’s a tip of the hat to the series. We wanted to capture the essence and uniqueness of that time while making it immediately accessible to today’s audiences, and as original, attractive and fresh as possible.” The resulting tenor “is both period and contemporary, which feels like a very natural process to me.”