From the visionary mind of Steven Soderbergh comes The Black Bag, a high-stakes spy thriller that pushes the boundaries of trust, deception, and betrayal. Starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, this unconventional espionage drama follows elite intelligence officers George and Kathryn Woodhouse, a married couple whose loyalty is tested when Kathryn is suspected of treason.

Will George prioritize love over duty, or will the call of his country outweigh his devotion to his wife?

A Spy Thriller That Cuts Deeper Than Secrets

Written by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible), The Black Bag takes inspiration from real-life intelligence officers who live in the shadows. While conducting research for Mission: Impossible, Koepp uncovered a striking reality—spies don’t just lie for a living; it often costs them their personal lives.

“All the spycraft stuff was very cool, but I learned more than I ever expected about the people,” he says. “One woman told me that her job made it impossible for her to sustain a relationship. A line in the movie was inspired by my conversations with her. ‘When you can lie about everything, how do you tell the truth about anything?’” – David Koepp

Director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven, Contagion) found the emotional core of the story irresistible.

“It is an interesting context in which to explore the idea of betrayal,” he says. “The source of most conflict in the world is somebody feeling they have been betrayed or that a trust has been broken. In this situation, both main characters hold a kind of get-out-of-jail-free card because not only are they not obligated to share everything, in some cases they are forbidden to.”

Spy thrillers have always been appealing to writer Koepp, and with Black Bag, he’s made sure that the stakes are as high as it could get.

“People are lying,” he says. “The stakes are astronomical. There’s nothing more fun to write than that. We have all the action, suspense and tension that audiences want from a spy story, plus characters that are compelling and layered. At times, Black Bag becomes more like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? than Mission: Impossible. That’s a big part of what audiences will respond to. It brought me back to some of the great 1970s films like Klute and All the President’s Men, which were steeped in paranoia and deceit. The feeling of being lied to was very strong in that era and it’s pretty strong in this story as well.”

With this powerful foundation, The Black Bag delivers the action and suspense of a spy thriller while unraveling a deeply personal story of trust, deceit, and survival.

A Star-Studded Cast and High-Stakes Action

Beyond its gripping narrative, The Black Bag boasts a stellar cast:

• Marisa Abela (Back to Black)
• Tom Burke (The Souvenir)
• Naomie Harris (Skyfall, No Time to Die)
• Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton)
• Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye, The Matador)

This blend of seasoned veterans and rising stars ensures a powerhouse of performances that will keep audiences on edge.

A Thriller for the Ages

With echoes of classic paranoid thrillers like Klute and All the President’s Men, The Black Bag isn’t just about explosive action—it’s about unraveling the truth in a world built on deception.

Catch The Black Bag in Philippine cinemas starting April 2!

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