Warner Brothers has extended an offer to Bradley Cooper to play Napoleon Solo in director Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Variety is reporting that the actor is currently mulling over taking the role in the big screen adaption of the 1960s television series following George Clooney’s departure in August. Reportedly Johnny Depp and Matt Damon had both passed on the project.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. ran for four seasons on NBC from 1964 to 1968 during the height of the Cold War and starred Robert Vaughn and David McCullum as two agents for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement weekly battling the evil machinations of the terrorist organization THRUSH. Cashing in on the popularity of the James Bond films, the show was popular enough to launch a series of tie-ins novels and comic books, a spin-off TV series, The Girl From UNCLE, and saw a TV reunion movie in 1983.
The script for the new film was written by screenwriter Scott Z. Burns and reportedly keeps the show’s original 1960s setting.
