Black Bag: Release Date, Cast And Other Things We Know About Steven Soderbergh's New Spy Thriller

Steven Soderbergh has made a name for himself the past few decades as one of the most prolific and crafty filmmakers of his time, and his upcoming movie, Black Bag, looks to be another great addition to that list. Years after making some of the best ‘90s movies, introducing audiences to the Oceans crew, and creating a terrifying thriller that pretty much predicted the COVID-19 response, Soderbergh is coming out with a spy thriller pitting husband and wife against one another in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

If you want to know more about the Black Bag release date, its story, the impressive cast, and all other kinds of details, stick around. Here’s everything we know about one of the most intriguing releases on the 2025 movie schedule.

What Is The Black Bag Release Date?

You may want to add a date to your calendar for next spring as Blag Bag has a release date of March 14, 2025, Focus Features has announced. And while the film will almost certainly find its way to the streaming world like so many other movies from the studio, the spy thriller will be one of Steven Soderbergh’s few releases in the past five years to debut on the big screen. While Magic Mike’s Last Dance and Presence both took a theatrical route first, others like Kimi, Let Them All Talk, and The Laundromat were all exclusive to platforms like Max and Netflix.

As far as competition, Black Bag will open the same weekend as the Jack Quaid-led action thriller, Novocaine, and just one week after Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17.

What Is Black Bag About?

Steven Soderbergh has made a career out of directing riveting spy dramas, and it sounds like Black Bag will be no different. According to the official plot synopsis provided by Focus Features, the movie will center on legendary British intelligence agent George Woodhouse as he is tasked with spying on his wife and fellow agent Kathryn Woodhouse, who is suspected of betraying the nation. Caught between protecting his wife and his country, George will have a difficult decision to make.

The Black Bag Trailer

In December 2024, Focus Features released the Black Bag trailer, which is full of all kinds of mystery, intrigue, and characters with dubious intentions. Clocking in at nearly three minutes, the teaser introduces the major players, the conflict at the core of the story, and some incredible scenes of espionage.

BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14 - YouTube

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At the core of the trailer, and presumably the movie itself, is the relationship shared by the Woodhouses as they go from husband and wife to spy vs. spy. It doesn’t look like it’s full-on Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but with so little being revealed about the characters, it’s anyone’s guess at this point.

The Black Bag Cast

In the past, Steven Soderbergh has gotten some massive Hollywood talent to appear in his movies. If you look at the Ocean’s Eleven cast, the actors in Contagion, and pretty much everything else he’s made the past 30 years, you’ll see huge star power up and down the sheet. It’s not going to be any different with the Black Bag cast, as you can check out below:

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn Woodhouse

Cate Blanchett is taking on the role of Kathryn Woodhouse, a spy and wife of Michael Fassbender’s George Woodhouse who is believed to have gone rogue, which seriously complicates her marriage. This will be Blanchett’s fourth time working with Soderbergh, as she previously appeared in The Good German and Ocean’s 8, as well as the 2011 short film titled The Last Time I Saw Michael Gregg.

Michael Fassbender as Geroge Woodhouse

Michael Fassbender takes on the role of George Woodhouse, the agent who is tasked with tracking the suspected mole, who also happens to be his wife. Fassbender, who is no stranger to spy thrillers after leading The Agency on Showtime, previously worked with Soderbergh in the 2011 action thriller, Haywire.

Regé-Jean Page

Though his character’s name hasn’t been released, Regé-Jean Page will play a key role in Black Bag as one of the agents assisting Fassbender’s Woodhouse. The former Bridgerton star has recently appeared in movies like The Gray Man and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

Naomie Harris

Naomi Harris, who has portrayed Eve Moneypenny in every James Bond film since Skyfall, will try out a different type of spy story when she appears in Black Bag. Her role is still unknown, however.

Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan, the man who played 007 for nearly a decade, will be showing up in Black Bag as one of the officials searching for the rogue agent.

Marisa Abela

Marisa Abela, best known for her portrayal of Amy Winehouse in Back to Black, is also a part of the Black Bag cast. Abela’s other recent projects include Industry, Barbie, and Rogue Agent.

Tom Burke

Tom Burke, who most recently showed up as Praetorian Jack in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga in 2024, is set to appear in Black Bag. Over the years, Burke has popped up in films like Mank, Only God Forgivies, and True Things.

Black Bag Was Penned By Jurassic Park Screenwriter David Koepp

In addition to collaborating with actors like Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender on his latest project, Steven Soderbergh also worked with recent collaborator David Koepp for the Black Bag screenplay.

One of the most well-known and prolific writers in Hollywood, Koepp is best known for adapting Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park into what has gone down as one of the best ‘90s sci-fi movies as well as perhaps the most influential film of the decade. Over the years, Koepp has also worked on films like Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to name a few. In addition to writing Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World Rebirth, he’s also directing the Cold Storage adaptation, which is based on his own novel of the same name.

What is Black Bag Rated?

Though Steven Soderbergh has made his fair share of PG-13 movies over the years, Black Bag won’t fall into that category. According to FilmRatings.com, a website operated by the MPA, the upcoming spy thriller will be rated R for “language, including some sexual references, and some violence.”

Will Black Bag be the next big spy thriller we’re talking about for years to come? The only way to find out is by watching Steven Soderbergh’s latest feature film when it opens in theaters this March.