In a list of the best espionage films in recent years– Bourne, James Bond, Ocean's – there's been one thing clearly missing from their action-packed storylines – a leading female actress.
That is, until now.
Deadline reports a female-led espionage thriller is about to come our way from producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli at EON Productions who have gifted the world the last eight James Bond films.
If that wasn't enough, Blake Lively is tipped to play the lead role of spy Stephanie Patrick, with The Handmaid's Tale director Reed Morano rumoured to be at the helm.
The film, called The Rhythm Section, is reportedly based on the first in the Stephanie Patrick series of four books from British writer Mark Burnell, and pretty much marks the first time the Broccoli family (of James Bond fame) has ventured outside of the franchise and stepped into a new spy series.
The film is described as seeing the titular heroine Patrick (who would be played by lively) who is 'on a path of self-destruction after the death of her family in an airplane crash, a flight that she was meant to be on'.
'After discovering that the crash was not an accident, her anger awakens a new sense of purpose and she rises to uncover the truth by adapting the identity of an assassin to track down those responsible. The new, and lethal, Stephanie Patrick is on a mission to fill the void between what she knows and what she is told,' the description reads.
The film's executive producer Stuart Ford said of the up-coming film: 'In Stephanie Patrick, Mark has created a unique female heroine who turns so many of the current cinematic clichés surrounding so-called 'kick-ass' female leads on their head.
'To be bringing such a fresh, realistic, and bold international thriller to the big screen with EON Productions, Reed, and Blake is an exciting proposition for us all at IM Global,' he added, reports Variety.
Perhaps Blake could take some superhero tips from her husband Ryan Reynolds following the success of his film, Deadpool?
After all, the guy can pull off a born-killer pretty darn well.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
