This week, the star-studded cast of Black Bag landed in London for the film’s UK premiere at Curzon Mayfair. The new spy espionage film from Steven Soderbergh – the director of the Ocean’s series – and award-winning screenwriter David Koepp has already made headlines thanks to its inimitable troupe, which features Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Back to Black’s Marisa Abela and Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page, as well as James Bond stars Pierce Brosnan and Naomie Harris. 

Filming began last May, with crews spotted across the capital, as well as in the Swiss city of Zurich, before it wrapped production in July – and early reviews have it sitting at a 95 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Heading to the cinema this weekend? Here’s everything to know before you go (no spoilers, we promise), plus the London landmarks to look out for. 

What is Black Bag about?

Black Bag follows fictional legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse (Fassbender) and his beloved wife Kathryn (Blanchett). George has a solid reputation for rooting out liars both at home and abroad, but this innate skill is put to the test when Kathryn is suspected of betraying the nation by leaking sensitive information to rivals. Suddenly, George questions everything, and has to judge whether his loyalty lies with his marriage or his country. 

The name Black Bag alludes to the highly specialised operations carried out by spies. According to the Washington-based International Spy Museum’s Language of Espionage directory, a ‘black bag job’ relates to ‘secret entry into a home or office to steal or copy materials’. 

Talking to Script Magazine this week, Koepp said: “I thought of this idea 30 years ago – the longest I’ve ever gestated anything. I was in the middle of writing the first Mission Impossible, doing a lot of research, and I was talking to a CIA guy about his personal life [...] and I remember him telling me it was impossible for intelligence agents to sustain a relationship because it’s too easy to have an affair and cover your tracks. 

“I knew immediately that I wanted to see that in the context of a marriage rather than someone trying to date and find the right person, because by definition a marriage is meant to be a settled relationship. By introducing this element, where these married spies are limited about what they can talk about with each other, it causes uncertainty.”

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn Woodhouse

Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as George Woodhouse

Where was Black Bag filmed in London? 

London is no stranger to being the backdrop for spy thrillers (it is, after all, home to the most famous spy of them all) – and Soderbergh’s crew and cast were spotted across the capital during the two months of filming last year. 

Blanchett was spotted on the streets of Marylebone, with the neighbourhood possibly acting as the location of the Woodhouse’s home, looking almost unrecognisable in a costume featuring a long brunette wig, sheer tights, and pointed-toe pumps. Nova South at 160 Victoria Street posed at the backdrop for many of the office scenes featuring Harris and Jean-Page, while protagonist Fassbender was spotted along the South Bank, with Westminster behind him, for the film’s money shot. 

When is Black Bag out?

Black Bag will be available to watch in UK cinemas from 14 March 2025.

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