The 355: Lupita Nyong’o Talks Starring In Upcoming Female-Led Espionage Thriller

Black Panther’s Lupita Nyong’o joins an ensemble of fierce female spies – The 355. Named after one of the first woman spies in the United States during the American Revolution, the elite group of agents embarks on a mission to stop a criminal organization from launching a cyber attack that would cause global disruption.

Directed by Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) from a script written by Theresa Kinberg, the film also stars Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Diane Cruger, Bingbing Fan, Sebastian Stan, and Edgar Ramirez.

Nyong’o portrays an MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist named Khadijah, a role written specifically for the Oscar winner. “There was no auditioning; the roles were developed for us,” she told HM.

The cast came together before everything else in making The 355. Nyong’o shared that producer-star Chastain initially reached out to her with just an idea, “There was no script, there was no writer, there was just her and Simon Kinberg who was going to direct it,” the actress said, “So the actors came into this before the script. Then the writers went off and came back with these characters that we played.”

Although the movie landscape may seem oversaturated with spy flicks, The 355 attempts to bring forth a fresh perspective on how women in action films ought to be portrayed. During her interview with Entertainment Weekly, Chastain revealed the inspiration behind the film was to create something that simply did not exist. “I was seeing all these films with male action ensembles, but I’d never really seen a female action ensemble that took itself seriously [and] didn’t make it silly that girls were actually good at the job,” the Oscar nominee said. “My experience on making Zero Dark Thirty, I discovered how many women are in espionage and how often they’re utilized. It kind of started from there, and I just went with a wish list of who I thought were the best actresses working today.”

Nyong’o was one of the sought-after talents Chastain decided to pursue. The unique direction of what was, at the time, a project in development appealed to her deeply. “It just felt really fresh, like it was filling a gap that I didn’t even know existed. I think that’s what makes it special and different.”

Viewers will get the chance to follow the thrilling mission of the fearless spy quintet in theaters this Friday, January 7. Watch the full trailer below.