Black Bagfailed to recoup its $50 million investmentat the box office, but the Steven Soderbergh-directed spy thriller will look for new life in the streaming realm. Starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett,Black Bagwas a smash hit for critics, garnering an impressive 96% Certified Fresh rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. The film follows two married intelligence agents, George and Kathryn Woodhouse, played by Fassbender and Blanchett, respectively, the latter of whom is suspected of betraying her nation.
It was announced on Friday morning thatBlack Bagwould begin streaming on Peacock starting May 2. It will stream exclusively on the aforementioned platform after becoming available for purchase or rent on digital on-demand stores in early April. At the worldwide box office, Black Bag only managed to gross $37.7 million, well short of the reported $50 million production budget. Now, the Focus Features-produced picture looks to find a new audience on the streamer, which could warrant a sequel being greenlit by the studio.
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Black Bagboasts a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Fassbender, Blanchett, Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, Tom Burke, and Pierce Brosnan. Behind the scenes, David Koepp, known forJurassic Park,Mission: Impossible,Spider-Man(2002), and many more recognizable films, lent his screenwriting talents to the spy thriller.His next film isJurassic World Rebirth, which bows out in theaters later this summer. Check out the official plot synopsis forBlack Bagbelow:
“From Director Steven Soderbergh,Black Bagis a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife Kathryn. When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.”
Is a ‘Black Bag’ Sequel in the Works?
Unfortunately, the lackluster box office results ofBlack Bagmay have killed its chances of getting a sequel. Critics fell in love with the understated spy thriller bolstered by impressive performances, but that positive response was not reflected during its theatrical run. However, that doesn’t mean the cast and crew would not return for a sequel if they were asked to. Steven Soderbergh told Entertainment Weekly back in March that screenwriter David Koepp had already thought about a follow-up toBlack Bag.Spoilers follow for the film:
“If we were fortunate enough with success to be asked to continue this story, David has a really good idea. I don’t want to jinx it, but it would be an even more serious problem that they would be confronting.
The idea that David has plays into this idea of there will be a consequence to the fact they took that action [and killed James]. That’s not going to go away. You just don’t disappear somebody who works in that business and never have to confront your role in it. So David’s idea of how this circles back to them is really interesting.”
As of right now, aBlack Bagsequel seems unlikely if the box office results are taken into account. However, considering critics and audiences responded positively to the film, perhaps some streaming success would go a long way to get that follow-up greenlit.
Source:NBC,Entertainment Weekly
Black Bag is a Steven Soderbergh directed thriller from Focus Features. Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Regé Jean Page and Marisa Abela lead the cast, along with Naomie Harris, Pierce Brosnan, and Tom Burke. The story, which is currently under wraps, was written by David Koepp.
