George Clooney has closed Channel D.
It is being reported that the actor is in the process of bowing out of participating in Steven Soderberg’s big-screen adaptation of the 1960s spy series The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
The reasons are unclear in the report from Deadline, who broke the story, but Clooney will no longer be playing ace spy Napoleon Solo, the role that Robert Vaughn filled for four years on NBC. It seems odd though, considering that Clooney and Sonderberg have teamed as actor and director for six films – the three Ocean’s pictures, Out of Sight, Solaris and The Good German.
Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns has recently finished the script for the film which reportedly keeps the show’s original 1960s setting.
Reportedly, Warner Brothers still wants the film to begin production next spring, so Soderberg has a bit of time to find a replacement. Will he he perhaps cast another actor whom he has worked with before, like Brad Pitt or Matt Damon? Or perhaps someone fresh. I think John Hamm might make a good fit with the part.
