The Gray Man, starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, is a quintessential action film – a CIA assassin goes rogue after uncovering corruption in the agency. The CIA sends agents after their star assassin, hoping to get to him before he releases incriminating information about the agency and its leaders.
The film has plenty of action scenes, including plenty of gun fights, but it has received plenty of low ratings from fans and critics. Its impressive ensemble cast delivers noteworthy performances, but the plot is woefully bland.
Nevertheless, The Gray Man has attracted plenty of interest, with some fans wondering whether the movie has real-world connections.
The Gray Man is based on a fictional book series by Mark Greaney
The Gray Man is based on a fictional book series by Mark Greaney. The film follows the book’s trajectory but has changed some characters and storylines.
Mark’s novel was initially optioned for a film adaptation in 2011. However, development issues hampered the movie’s creation until Netflix stepped in to fund the project. Netflix poured $200 million into the film’s production, making it one of the streaming powerhouse’s most expensive movies.
Ryan Gosling’s The Gray Man has no connection to a 2007 film with the same name. The 2007 film, starring Patrick Bauchau, was based on the true story of American serial killer, cannibal, and rapist Albert Fish.