MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) — A Memphis native is behind one of the most anticipated action movies of the year.

“The Gray Man” is coming to Netflix in July.

The blockbuster is based on a series of books by Mark Greaney who explained what made it a New York Times bestseller and the impact Action News 5 had on its success.

Ryan Gosling stars as former assassin-turned-CIA Court Gentry in new ‘Gray Man’ trailer. Chris Evans plays Gosling’s nemesis, CIA agent Lloyd Hansen.

The film reunites Evans with the Russo Brothers, who directed him in “Captain America.” Greaney met with the Russos in Los Angeles to consult on the film adaptation of her first novel.

“They’re really good at talking about movies and stories and they really enjoyed it. So I knew I was in good hands,” Greaney said.

The storytelling is part of the Greaney family. His father is none other than Action News 5 journalism legend Ed Greaney, who had a profound impact on his son’s life and thought process as an author.

“We would watch the news and he would talk about everything,” Greaney recalled. “He knew everyone in Memphis. Every morning at the breakfast table, we would talk about the news or he would read me an article or something, and then he was also a great reader. He read a lot of non-fiction.

Greaney says his father and grandfather, a graduate of the University of Memphis Law School, inspired the character of his title character in “The Gray Man.”

“My grandfather, he was in the army infantry during the First World War. And this is my father, who was in the army infantry in World War II. These are his medals and dog tags,” Greaney said.

His father came back from the war and started running a bowling alley in Memphis.

“And then he got a job at Channel 5 in 1949. I think as low on the totem as you can get, he became assistant general manager for news and public affairs. So during King’s assassination and all these other events,” Greaney explained.

His father’s legacy runs so deep that the newsroom of Action News 5 is named after Ed Greaney. He’s always the first face you see when you walk through the door. Ed Greaney died four years before his son published his first novel, but the journalist’s influence is felt on every page.

“He was also a great writer, because you have to be news and a really good editor,” Greaney said. “I would give him something I wrote, some school news and he would edit it, like tear it down, but ultimately it really, really helped me with everything. He had a really huge impact on my life.

Now it’s The Gray Man’s turn to make his mark on the entertainment world, a star-studded blockbuster that in many ways originated in Memphis.

“The Gray Man? The film is set to hit Netflix in July.

Greaney is hosting an in-person book signing for his 12th book Gray Man at Novel Memphis in the Laurelwood Mall on Perkins Extension Saturday from 2-3:30 p.m.

Copyright 2022 WMC. All rights reserved.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter!

Click here to point out a spelling or grammatical error. Please include the title.