Jessica Chastain’s spy film 355 is on everyone’s most anticipated list
A look at how Jessica Chastain’s female spy film 355 came into being, ignited a bidding war at Cannes, and could change the face of film.
Jessica Chastain is a hero to women everywhere.
Her Twitter is a haven for ladies, championing those coming forward in the wake of #MeToo, founding the #TimesUp movement, and demanding studios give equal pay to everyone. Where others are talking the talk, Chastain is walking the walk and turning her deeds into actions.
Earlier this year she demanded co-star Octavia Spencer receive the same amount of pay as her for their pairing in an untitled holiday film. During a conversation at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Chastain questioned why there weren’t more action movies starring women. Instead of asking, Chastain decided to make her own, recently unveiling the first information on her all-female spy feature, 355.
The top-secret project recently unveiled its first slew of info, as well as the stellar cast, at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. 355 is being described as a “grounded, edgy action thriller that aims to alter a male-dominated genre.” It’s being compared to the likes of The Bourne Identity, Mission: Impossible and James Bond. The plot is being kept under wraps but it is said to involve the female ensemble as a group of international agents.
So just who is joining Chastain in this conclave? Chastain has roped in three additional Oscar winners as well as an international fan favorite: Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o and Fan Bingbing. 355 is set to be directed by Oscar nominee Simon Kinberg and its script is written by two-time Emmy nominee Theresa Rebeck.
Hollywood certainly took notice of 355. It’s said that a huge bidding war broke out at the festival, with Global Road Entertainment offering $25 million for the project. Amazon Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, and Paramount are also said to be in contention to purchase rights. Writer Rebecca Keegan was at the press conference where Chastain and crew were discussing the project. They dropped pieces of what we can expect, including Chastain and Cotillard engaging in a motorcycle fight and Nyong’o playing a character who should draw comparisons to James Bond’s tech-savvy character, Q. But outside of that there’s still so much that’s unknown about the project, and that’s just fine for us.
What makes 355 such a compelling project to follow is what it offers the future of cinema. The misguided adage still follows certain projects, the idea that men will only see films about men, but women will see anything. But as Hollywood questions how to get people into the theaters, women are responding with “give us more interesting movies.”
In the wake of Wonder Woman, there’s a bonafide interest in giving women stories in genres not commonly associated with them. For all the strides women have made in cinema, action, sci-fi, and the spy genre are still heavily male-centric.
Many times when women are given opportunities to enter new genres, it comes only through being associated with an earlier, male-dominated franchise. Case in point, the 2016 “gender-swapped” take on Ghostbusters. It received vitriol from fans for daring to put women in it. Even when directors are asked about putting women in certain fanboy roles, their hesitation is palpable. Take when Steven Spielberg was asked about a female Indiana Jones movie. He brought up how the name would have to be changed to “Joan.” Spielberg not understanding how names work aside, his comment seems poised to inflame fanboys who yearn to complain about how their precious childhood is being ruined by women.
It’s stories like these that make 355 such a valuable object. Women want to create their own franchises and Chastain is giving us the opportunity to see a diverse mix of women dominating in a male-friendly genre. As Lupita Nyong’o mentioned during the Cannes press conference, the movie gives her an opportunity to play something different, giving audiences a black female heroine who’s smart and capable.
It’s ridiculous that in 2018 we have to consider this “progressive,” but it is. It’s also important to praise the casting of the film. Chastain and Cotillard are white, but Cruz is Latina, Nyong’o is African-American and Bingbing is Asian. They truly are a diverse group of women. Bingbing’s casting is additionally intriguing considering she hasn’t received the same rabid fan response here as she has in her native China.
I’ve been a fan of Chastain for years. What makes her so remarkable is her desire to take the reins and change Hollywood from the inside out. 355 might not be the movie to rock the foundations upon release. But it’s a serious push from an actress with clout enough to do it.
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Fans are already chomping at the bit for a movie that hasn’t even been shot yet. With more than enough interest in the project, it only proves that women want more from their movies.