Jessica Chastain leads a group of international spies in trailer for The 355

While working on DARK PHOENIX, Jessica Chastain pitched writer/director Simon Kinberg with the concept of a female-led spy flick that would see a group of female international agents taking charge in a grounded, edgy action-thriller in the style of THE BOURNE IDENTITY, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, and JAMES BOND franchises. It feels as though it's been a long time coming, but the first trailer for THE 355 is finally here! THE 355 stars Jessica Chastain as Mace, who is leading a group of top female agents from government agencies around the globe as they try to stop an organization from acquiring a deadly weapon to send the world into chaos. In addition to Chastain, the film also stars Lupita Nyong'o as Khadijah, Penelope Cruz as Graciela, Bingbing Fan as Lin Mi Sheng, and Diane Kruger as Marie.

The spark which ignited THE 355 grew out of Jessica Chastain's research while filming ZERO DARK THIRTY. "When I was preparing for Zero Dark Thirty, I had incredible resources working in the CIA I got to learn from," Chastain said. "We have a consultant in our film that has a lot of knowledge in espionage. This title came from one of the conversations I had with him. 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." Director Simon Kinberg has also said that unlike some of the other spy franchises, the goal of THE 355 will be to present a true ensemble in which all of the agents will share the screen equally.

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.

THE 355 is slated to hit theaters on January 15, 2021. You can check out the poster for the film, as well as an assortment of character posters, below!