Focus Features’ forthcoming espionage thriller Black Bag, directed by Steven Soderbergh, has added three more stars to its cast. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Pierce Brosnan of Golden Eye, Naomie Harris of No Time to Die, and Tom Burke of The Lazarus Project have joined the cast of Black Bag. In May of this year, film production is scheduled to commence in London; however, the narrative of the film remains largely unknown.
An already remarkable cast comprises Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rege-Jean Page, and Marisa Abela, to which the three newcomers add their talents.
What Other Films Has Steven Soderbergh Directed Besides Black Back?
A psychological thriller called Presence, which stars Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland, was just directed by Soderbergh in addition to Black Bag. The movie, which centers on a family moving into a new home, had its world premiere in January 2024 at the Sundance Film Festival before being picked up by Neon. Presence’s release date in the US has not yet been disclosed.
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Soderbergh has also directed films such as 1989’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape, 1998’s Out of Sight, 2000’s Erin Brockovich, 2000’s Traffic, 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven, 2002’s Solaris, 2004’s Ocean’s Twelve, 2007’s Ocean’s Thirteen, 2011’s Contagion, 2012’s Magic Mike, 2013’s Side Effects, 2017’s Logan Lucky, 2018’s Unsane, 2020’s Let Them All Talk, 2021’s No Sudden Move, and 2022’s Kimi, among other titles.
Is Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag Inspired By James Bond?
Soderbergh, an avid admirer of the James Bond franchise, once engaged in discussions with Barbara Broccoli, one of the franchise’s producers, regarding the direction of a Bond film.
Nevertheless, towards the end of the negotiation process, the two parties developed irreconcilable differences, which ultimately led to the breakdown of the discussions. Soderberg has incorporated elements of the James Bond franchise into his own films, including the 2011 action-thriller Haywire, which also featured Michael Fassbender, despite never having the opportunity to direct a Bond film.
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Given that Soderbergh’s upcoming film is an espionage thriller and that it has cast two franchise alumni, it is highly probable that Black Bag will remain a product of his enduring admiration for James Bond.
David Keopp, who authored the screenplay for Black Bag, has prior experience in the espionage thriller genre, having collaborated on Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) and Mission: Impossible (1996). Despite the paucity of information regarding Black Bag, it appears that Soderbergh’s espionage thriller will draw significant inspiration from James Bond.
