{Exclusive} Charlize Theron To Star In Russo Bros’ Spy Thriller “The Gray Man”

〉   Theron is attached to the female lead in a spy thriller scripted by the Russo brothers

Oscar winner Charlize Theron is attached to star as the female lead in THE GRAY MAN from Sony Pictures. The script was written by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, adapted from the novel by Mark Greaney.

The film is being produced by the Russo brothers, DeDe Gardner for Plan B and Elizabeth Murdoch for Shine, while Joe Roth will produce through his Roth Films, with Palak Patel overseeing. Jonathan Kadin will oversee for Columbia.

The story centers around American operative Court Gentry, also known as ‘The Gray Man’. Gentry has become a legend in the covert realm for his ability to accomplish the impossible before fading into the ether. Now, Gentry is in a race against time to save his daughters from a team of government assassins determined to eliminate them.

Theron will play the film’s female lead, and while it is currently unclear which role that will be, we do know that producers are still searching for the right actor to take on the role of Gentry. That certainly leaves the door open for a Salt-esque situation to unfold (Angelina Jolie’s role in that film was originally written for a male, but things changed during the development process), and for Theron to step into the Gentry role herself. Plan B’s involvement, on the other hand, puts Brad Pitt at the top of the list–and in fact, our sources say the A-lister was previously circling.

Theron is certainly no stranger to action. She recently stole the show in this summer’s Mad Max: Fury Road, and will be reprising her role as Ravenna in the sequel to Snow White and The Huntsman, simply titled The Huntsman. And of course, this attachment further fuels speculation that Theron may be the front runner to play Captain Marvel, given the Russo brother’s current influence on the Marvel universe.

Given the resurgence of The Bourne Franchise, the time is right for The Gray Man to pick up speed in the development process. The breakout success of the Russo brothers, who demonstrated their ability to handle large-scale franchises with another Cold War spy-themed action film, Capitan America: The Winter Soldier, has rekindled flame under this project, which the Russo brothers have been developing since early 2010.

In fact, we’re hearing that between the heat on the Russo brothers and Theron’s recent attachment, The Gray Man has become a priority for Sony, with producers ravenously searching for the right director to turn this into a potential franchise of its own.

Theron is repped by WME.

—TO SEE ALL THE PROJECT DETAILS CLICK HERE—

Josh Lyons | Staff Writer