- Title: Soderbergh's star-studded thriller 'Black Bag' mixes marriage and espionage
- Date: 11th March 2025
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 11, 2025) (REUTERS) PAGE ON RED CARPET, SPEAKING WITH REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, REGE-JEAN PAGE, SAYING: "I think this film is primarily concerned with the human cost and the human impact of spying. It's very much about how can you trust anything when you lie about everything, how do you carry that in a relationship? Why ar
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Adria Arjona Black Bag Black Bag London premiere Black Bag film Cate Blanchett Jason Momoa Marisa Abela Michael Fassbender Naomie Harris Rege-Jean Page Steven Soderbergh Tom Burke
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: UK
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA005765510032025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A married couple of top intelligence agents have their loyalties tested in Steven Soderbergh's new spy drama "Black Bag".
Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett play British spies George Woodhouse and Kathryn St. Jean who both work at an organisation where a traitor is trying to steal top secret technology.
George, an expert interrogator and self-professed hater of lies, gets tasked with finding the mole and discovers that his wife is among the five possible culprits. He rounds up the suspects, played by Naomie Harris, Rege-Jean Page, Marisa Abela and Tom Burke, at his house for an evening of "fun and games", hoping to elicit information from the group of professional deceivers.
"The core of the story is actually where does George's loyalty lie. Is it to his wife or his country?" Fassbender, who recently starred in the spy series "The Agency" and David Fincher's "The Killer", said at the "Black Bag" London premiere on Tuesday (March 11).
"It helps when somebody is doing the same job as you in understanding what it's all about. Obviously, it's heightened in this scenario because it's espionage," Fassbender, who is married to actress Alicia Vikander, said.
Blanchett said the film team's research showed that few people who work in espionage are able to maintain a relationship.
"It's very hard to trust people, but it's super important if you're going to have a committed relationship," the Australian actress, who has been married to her husband, playwright and director Andrew Upton for nearly three decades, said
"Black Bag", which was written by David Koepp and directed by "Traffic" and the "Ocean's" movie trilogy filmmaker Soderbergh, features more dialogue than action, adding a theatre play-like quality to the project, Page and Abela said.
"Sitting across the table playing this kind of verbal, psychological tennis game with Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Tom Burke, Marisa Abela, Pierce Brosnan, there is no weak link in this incredibly high quality cast," said Page, who plays Colonel James Stokes.
The role of junior agent Clarissa Dubose was the first "Back to Black" and "Industry" star Abela did not have to audition for.
"To have someone like Steven turn around and tell you that he's a fan of your work, and do you want to be a part of this film is just an amazing, amazing thing. I wouldn't have, I would have auditioned for this. I mean, are you kidding me? I was just so glad to be a part of it," the 28-year-old actress said.
Black bags refer to the highly classified information the agents cannot divulge to anyone, their partners included.
The London-set movie also stars Pierce Brosnan as Arthur Stieglitz, the head of the spy agency.
"Black Bag" begins its global cinematic rollout on March 12.
(Production: Steve Hignett, Hanna Rantala) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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