Steven Soderbergh Walks Away: No Longer Directing 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'

Well, Ashton and Demi aren't the only ones calling it quits. After a lot of his own casting heartbreaks, director Steven Soderbergh is walking away from "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."

Casting the revival of the 60s spy franchise has been a nightmare from the start.

First, George Clooney pulled out, saying that he wasn't capable of doing the action and stunt scenes after the serious injuries he received while filming "Syriana."

Then they extended the offer to People's (arguably) Sexiest Man Alive, Bradley Cooper. And then Channing Tatum? See -- a real mess.

Well, according to The Playlist, it was too much for Soderbergh. After meeting with Warner Bros., the director and studio were unable to come to an agreement over casting and budgets and decided to part ways on the project. Soderbergh has been developing "U.N.C.L.E." with writer Scott Z. Burns since early 2010.

Don't fret, there are other fish in the sea!

It's full steam ahead for the director's hunk-heavy stripper movie, "Magic Mike." And thank god for that -- otherwise, we'd be truly devastated.

For more, click over to The Playlist.

PHOTOS:

Comments

[MichaelMcKLA]

03:06 AM on 11/19/2011

I think Robert Vaughn is still available.

[ummm]

12:57 AM on 11/19/2011

David McCallum is great but who evokes Robert Vaughan today, really? a gorgeous, stylish, lady-killer, killer- that's a very rare constellation of qualities- you know, Peter Skarsgaard has something...

[mollynova]

08:16 AM on 11/19/2011

Clive Owen would have made a perfect Bond, James Bond or the man from UNCLE.

[blukazoo]

06:49 PM on 11/18/2011

Don't the Bond movies already suck enough?

[prestonsturges]

02:14 PM on 11/18/2011

I have some free time?

[DogsRKool2]

01:42 PM on 11/18/2011

Don't worry there are plenty of old series to rehash and remake over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

[pikappa77]

03:07 PM on 11/18/2011

"My Mother the Car", "H.R. Puffnstuff"...

[mollynova]

08:18 AM on 11/19/2011

"It's about Time", "Hot Fudge, Right on!"...

[DennyCrane]

01:18 PM on 11/18/2011

I'm surprised they didn't ask Ashton Kutcher. Judging by the quality of movies he's done, he's obviously not picky.

[madcityy]

01:04 PM on 11/18/2011

it was a badddddddddddddddddddddddddddd idea from the get go.....................

[Joe Brindley]

12:28 PM on 11/18/2011

Can't Hollywood create anything anymore besides remakes of old tv shows and super heroes?

[Kim0330]

01:19 PM on 11/18/2011

Nope, they ran out of original ideas a while ago :-)

[mollynova]

08:21 AM on 11/19/2011

It costs money to think up new ideas and plots. Usually the studios wait for someone to pitch a brand new idea. Then they turn it down. Then someone in that dept says "Hey! I've got an idea!" and steals the originator's idea and a new movie gets made. Otherwise they go back to rerun tv and old movies to rehash.

[kinogod]

12:27 PM on 11/18/2011

Stupid freaking idea by stupid freaking MBA grads trying to fasten their place in Hollywood using risk analysis and their uneducated love of tee vee time. Where the hell are the hucksters with their true visions? Alive and well thank you -- on the fringe. See "Take shelter" 20 times and rinse and repeat.

[StockBroker]

11:45 AM on 11/18/2011

Hollywood needs to stop ruining our childhoods with these vomit inducing remakes.

[patiodaddy]

11:17 AM on 11/18/2011

George Clooney is a has been on his way out, he just doesn't know it yet. His one true standout acting job was in "O' Brother", other than that they have all been duds. I never missed an episode of the Man from UNCLE when I was a kid. Let's hope they revive the project with some real talent and not just some pretty face.

[caland]

12:30 PM on 11/18/2011

are you kidding? his recent films have been better than anything the new 'talent' has produced.

[asl9810]

11:09 AM on 11/18/2011

Good decision Steven. The Man for U.N.C.L.E. would be a great film. But casting for casting sake never did a film well -- look at all the failed remakes. I love Clooney, but he was not Napoleon Solo (more Waverly); and when the rumors started with Brad, I didn't care any more. The ONLY casting I would love to have seen is Alexander Skarsgård as Illya (come on, he was BORN to play the role today!).

[elsie900]

12:43 PM on 11/18/2011

AMEN on the Askars casting. IMO he was born to play Eric, but he's the only guy I can even think of who could succeed David McCallum in that role. I don't think he and Clooney would have necessarily had great give-and-take chemistry, though, and that's what really made U.N.C.L.E. Too bad.

[Kevin Arthus]

11:02 AM on 11/18/2011

Hmmm...sausagefest or spy movie? I'd rather see the spy movie.

[scout638]

10:39 AM on 11/18/2011

"United Network Command for Law and Enforcement" is what it actually stood for. One of the best tributes to the show was on NCIS when Gibbs is asked "What did "Ducky" look like when he was young"? His answer...."Ilia Kuryakin".

[alicetilden]

01:25 PM on 11/18/2011

That was great when Gibbs said that. I have always been a fan of David McCallum ever since Man From Uncle.

[andysrsm]

10:29 AM on 11/18/2011

I used to watch that show. United Nations Council on Law Enforcement. Did you know the guy that does the autopsies on NCIS was one of the leads on "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."?

[Djoser]

10:46 AM on 11/18/2011

The chance to see llya again was the reason I started watching NCIS. I am one of the few woman in my age group who wasn't crushing on Mark Harmon, now I do.

[alicetilden]

01:26 PM on 11/18/2011

Me too.