Five years ago, Guy Ritchie’s feature film adaptation of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. became another one of those blockbusters that Schrodinger would be proud of. While not a box office smash by any indication, the movie’s profile has only grown in fondness with fans who have caught it on home video. As such, the talk around a potential sequel, even this far out of the gate, has persisted. Fans aren’t the only ones looking forward to a potential second adventure for Henry Cavill’s Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer’s Ilya Kuryakin, as the latter star is pretty enthusiastic to get to work is anyone makes that fateful call.
During the press day for Netflix’s upcoming remake of author Daphne du Maurier’s classic romantic thriller Rebecca, CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell got to catch up with Hammer, as well as co-star Lily James. In the midst of talk involving the new Netflix offering came a ray of hope, courtesy of James chiming in with the following catalyst:
Lily James: Why is there not a sequel to that movie? It’s so good!Armie Hammer: No idea. Trust me, if someone was like, ‘Hey, do you want to do a sequel?’ I would be like, ‘Hell yeah, let’s go!’ … I hear it. I get people being like, ‘Are you going to do a sequel?’ The answer is, ‘I hope so! I’d love to.’ At one point, Lionel Wigram, who was the producer and also who wrote the original script, he and I talked about ideas and he told me an idea that he had for it, and I was like, ‘That sounds great! Whatever your idea [is], let’s just do it!’ I don’t know, man. Keep pushing. Hopefully one day we can do it. I’d love to do it.
Starting The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as an adversarial presence, Armie Hammer’s Ilya Kuryakin eventually became an ally to Henry Cavill’s suavely smartassed American spy. With Guy Ritchie’s typical level of sharp humor, action set-pieces, and exquisitely tailored looks, the project has gained its fair share of admirers. And as early as three years ago, Hammer was asked about an already belated sequel, with co-writer/producer Lionel Wigram being as enthusiastic about getting back in the game as he was.
Unfortunately, no movement has been made past that point, and we’re still in the holding pattern that both Armie Hammer and Lionel Wigram pointed out those years ago. Though that doesn’t mean hope is entirely dashed, as fans of both Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Alita: Battle Angel have made enough noise to start the engines on some promising developments for those properties. If people really want a sequel to The Man From U.N.C.L.E., it would be a good idea to get the word out throughout the internet. This could potentially build up a demand so great it can’t be ignored. Should that day ever come, the world can count on at least one of the film’s co-stars to back the call.
Armie Hammer and Lily James will heat up the screen in a most chilling fashion, as Rebecca debuts in limited theatrical venues this weekend, with a streaming debut on Netflix as of October 21st. But if you want more of Hammer in period appropriate finery past that point, you’ll have to wait until December 18th, when Death on the Nile brings him and an entire all-star cast of suspects to the big screen, to be examined under the watchful eye of Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot.
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