The Captain America: The Winter Soldier directing pair of Anthony and Joe Russo have lined up a new project at Sony Pictures. Variety reports that the brothers will tackle a big screen version of Mark Greaney’s 2009 novel The Gray Man. The book, the first in Greaney’s “Court Gentry” series, was initially published in 2009 with the following official description:
Court Gentry is known as The Gray Man – a legend in the covert realm, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible, and then fading away. And he always hits his target. But there are forces more lethal than Gentry in the world. And in their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness.
Now, he is going to prove that for him, there’s no gray area between killing for a living-and killing to stay alive.
The novel was previously planned for the big screen some years ago with James Gray attached to direct and Brad Pitt rumored to be eyeing the lead role. New Regency Pictures held the screen rights at that time and had Adam Cozad (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) attached to provide the screenplay.
The Russos will both write and direct The Gray Man with the hopes of launching a new big screen franchise. Palak Patel and Joe Roth are producing.
The Russos remain attached to helm a third Captain America film, targeting a May 6, 2016 release.
