Netflix has delayed the start of production on the Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling-led thriller “The Gray Man” which was to kick off mid-January.
Deadline reports that according to sources close to the production, the indefinite pause is driven by the relatively high numbers of personnel required to launch the $200 million-budgeted film production at a time when California is hitting record highs of new COVID-19 cases in recent days.
“Avengers: Endgame” helmers Joe and Anthony Russo are directing the film which has been selected for a $20 million production tax credit allocation to shoot in California. Those types of credits are conditional on filming, beginning by a certain deadline.
It’s not clear when shooting has to begin, but sets had been under construction in the Long Beach area of southern Los Angeles County. The delay is also only thought to be a short one and for now, it stands at a minimum of two weeks.
Based on the novel series by Mark Greaney, Gosling stars in the film as an ex-CIA operative who becomes a killer for hire and is pursued by a former colleague (Evans).
