Director Steven Soderbergh’s year was off to a great start this past January when his horror thriller “Presence” premiered at Sundance and was quickly picked up by Neon. This came 35 years after Soderbergh made his big debut at the world-renowned festival with his feature “sex, lies & videotape.” That movie had a huge impact on the industry and would go on to gross $25 million while putting ’90s independent film on the map. Turning Soderbergh into one of the most in-demand directors overnight and culminated with a Best Director Oscar for the filmmaker in 2000 for the hit crime drama “Traffic.” His trajectory from indie to mainstream was eventually followed by other young, aspiring filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Kevin Smith. It’s safe to say that without Soderbergh, the entire landscape of independent film would be vastly different. Not much is known about his upcoming spy-thriller “Black Bag,” which was acquired by Focus Features earlier this year.
READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2025
The title loosely refers to burglar techniques employed by human intelligence agencies to acquire secrets and other critical information.
The movie stars Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Rege-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, Pierce Brosnan, and Tom Burke. It’s written by David Koepp (“Jurassic Park,” “Mission Impossible”). Stephen Soderbergh is the director. Producers are Greg Jacobs, Andrew Riach, and Casey Silver.
READ MORE: Steven Soderbergh Talks “Intimate” ‘Black Bag & Its “Nightmare” 12-Minute Dinner Scene
“Black Bag” follows two people in the intelligence community who have a complex personal relationship. Described by Soderbergh as akin to George and Martha from the hit Edward Albee play and the feature film “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Here’s the official synopsis:
From Director Steven Soderbergh, BLACK BAG is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife Kathryn. When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.
Focus Features will release “Black Bag” in theaters on March 14 via Focus Features.
