This “Man from U.N.C.L.E” movie, based on the antediluvian series of the same name, has been in the works longer than my arms have lost the swimming floaties – but with Tom Cruise now in early talks, according to THR, the project might at last inch forward.

Steven Soderbergh was initially onboard to helm the the big-screen transfer of the small-screen spy story – even roping in regular collaborator George Clooney to play the lead – but that incarnation fell apart, and the project somehow ended up with Guy Ritchie playing captain (likely it’s “Sherlock Holmes” director Ritchie’s relationship with Warner Bros, who are housing the project, that led to the union.)

Brit boy Ritchie’s now managed to convince A-lister Tom Cruise- not quite Clooney, but it’ll pass – to play Napoleon Solo, the American agent assigned to do all sorts of impossible missions through the Cold War. His offsider is Soviet agent Illya Kuryakin.

Ritchie has been on the project since 2011. A year back he offered Matt Damon and Ben Affleck the opportunity to play Solo and Kuryakin, respectively, but the Bostonians passed.

Cruise, seemingly on the hunt for a new franchise after his “Jack Reacher” debut failed to catch on, is seemingly more open to the idea of playing back-up to Clooney than Ben and Matt were.