Universal Pictures has officially set a July 06, 2025 release date for355, the studio’s star-studded espionage thriller directed bySimon Kinberg(Dark Phoenix). The story for the film was conceived by Oscar nomineeJessica Chastain, who also stars alongsideLupita Nyong’o(Us),Penélope Cruz(Murder on the Orient Express),Diane Kruger(Inglourious Basterds) andFan Bingbing(X-Men: Days of Future Past). Award-winning playwrightTheresa Rebeckpenned the script.
355follows your classic gettin'-the-team-together plot as several women with their own individual set of skills team up to stop a terrorist plot. The idea was reportedly first pitched back at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, with Universal winning a heated bidding war for distribution rights with a $20 million offer.
Back in May, Kinberg—who is, admittedly, coming off the bummer-as-hell reaction toDark Phoenix—discussed the ways355is closer to a James Bond film than a comic book movie.
“It won’t be as hyperbolic as some franchises, and unlike the other films that revolve around one main character, the goal here is the true ensemble, all these characters who have their own distinct traits, histories — fully formed and complex characters with equal weight in the film. That’s unique, as is having all female spies. We are digging into the reality of spy craft today. There are all kinds of things that seem out of a James Bond or even a sci-fi movie, but the technology is so advanced that it’s real. Having someone who knows that reality informing the script has been really helpful.”
Chastain also discussed the idea behind the movie, which first popped into her head while filmingZero Dark Thirty.
“Agent 355 was the code name of a female spy during the American Revolution. She was one of the very first spies for the United States, and her identity is still unknown. For a lot of women who work in the CIA and other organizations like that, Code 355 is a universal slang term for female spy. It’s the invisible woman who was never named.”
355is filming now. For more on the film, check out the links below:
