The Movie Waffler

The genre that seems to be dominating the 2015 release schedule is, rather inexplicably, the spy movie.

SPECTRE

Who the devil made it? Sam Mendes

Who the hell is in it? Christoph Waltz, Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci, Lea Seydoux

What do we know? Along with Skyfall director Mendes, screenwriters John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade also return for the latest installment in the 007 franchise, the latter pair reputedly hired to inject more humour in the script. Edge of Tomorrow scribe Jez Butterworth is also rumoured to have contributed a rewrite. The Bond girls are Lea Seydoux, who previously appeared in the rival Mission Impossible series, and Monica Bellucci, at 50 years young the first actress to be older than the actor playing Bond, while Christoph Waltz will play the villain. Cinematographer Roger Deakins sadly won't be returning, but his replacement, Hoyte Van Hoytema just did some outstanding work on Interstellar. Plot details are being kept tightly under wraps.

Untitled Spielberg Spy Thriller

Who the devil made it? Steven Spielberg, obviously.

Who the hell is in it? Tom Hanks, Amy Ryan, Eve Hewson

What do we know? Hanks will star as a lawyer recruited by the CIA to rescue a U2 spy plane pilot being held in the Cold War era Soviet Union. Speaking of U2, co-star Eve Hewson is the daughter of none other than Bono. Spielberg has always expressed a desire to direct a Bond movie, so maybe this is the closest he'll get?

Mission Impossible 5

Who the devil made it? Christopher McQuarrie

Who the hell is in it? Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Alec Baldwin

What do we know? Crazy Cruise is once again performing his own stunts, one involving a BMW, another a jump from the roof of the Vienna State Opera. Filming has taken place in England, Austria and Morocco. Plot details are currently secret.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E

Who the devil made it? Guy Ritchie

Who the hell is in it? Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Hugh Grant

What do we know? The 1960s setting has been kept intact, but Cavill and Hammer seem like odd choices, and Guy Ritchie has made some of the worst movies of the last two decades. He also worked on the script, so expect Solo and Kuryakin to address Waverly (Hugh Grant, more bizarre casting) as "Guvnor". The initial January release date has now been pushed back to August.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Who the devil made it? Matthew Vaughn

Who the hell is in it? Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine

What do we know? This comic adaptation features Colin Firth as a secret agent who takes a chavvy teen under his wing.

Mortdecai

Who the devil made it? David Koepp

Who the hell is in it? Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor

What do we know? Having written the first Mission Impossible, David Koepp sits in the chair marked director for a return to the espionage genre with this adaptation of a series of novels by Kyril Bonfiglioli. Depp plays the title character, a British art dealer who comes up against MI5 and Nazis in his search for a lost painting.

Grimsby

Who the devil made it? Louis Leterrier

Who the hell is in it? Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Isla Fisher

What do we know? In a plotline not dissimilar to Kingsman, Strong plays a spy who is forced to team up with Cohen, his football hooligan brother. Residents of the title English town have expressed their unhappiness at its unflattering portrayal.

Spy

Who the devil made it? Paul Feig

Who the hell is in it? Rose Byrne, Jason Statham, Melissa McCarthy

What do we know? Melissa McCarthy plays a female spy in this action comedy from the director of Bridesmaids.

The Gunman

Who the devil made it? Pierre Morel

Who the hell is in it? Idris Elba, Sean Penn, Javier Bardem

What do we know? Sean Penn plays a spy who goes on the run in Europe after a failed attempt to leave his line of work. Adapted from Jean-Patrick Manchette's novel The Prone Gunman, this is likely the most serious in tone of the films on this list.