In a world of James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Kingsman, an international female spy (or spies) is a bit of a rarity, isn't it? But maybe that's what makes them even more exciting. Mason “Mace” Brown and her band of five agents from five different countries are here to set the record straight. The 355 follows CIA Agent Brown (Jessica Chastain), a spy who learns about a global organization trying to acquire a secret weapon that could push the already chaotic world into a total disaster. Brown teams up with five other top international agents from around the world and sets out on a mission to retrieve the weapon before the enemy can lay their hands on it. And that’s how this odd group of women are going to save the world.

The 355 is based on a story by Theresa Rebeck, who also worked on the screenplay for the movie. It is directed by Simon Kinberg (Dark Phoenix, Deadpool), who also serves as a co-producer on the project along with Jessica Chastain, and Kelly Carmichael.

Brace yourself as these badass women embark on a high-octane mission, from one continent to another, to make the world a safer place. From the plot details to release date, trailer, cast, and characters, here’s everything we have found out so far about the upcoming action-spy thriller.

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Watch the Trailer for The 355

Universal Pictures UK released the first official trailer on October 6, 2021. On October 8, 2021, Universal Pictures released the second trailer. Both the trailers promise explosive global espionage. In the first trailer, we learn that back in the day, whenever there’s been a war, countries knew their enemies but now, in the world we live in, the enemy is invisible, unknown, and always elusive. Countries can collapse and cease to exist at the simple click of a button. The first clip introduces Agent Brown and how she builds her team of the best female international spies from around the world, who would do anything to stop their common enemy from waging the Third World War. The second trailer reveals the backstory of what an Agent 355 is. The promos also introduce the characters played by Sebastian Stan and Edgar Ramirez, both of whom seem like they are there to support the band of women, even if it means challenging them from time to time. From what we have seen so far, it looks like quite a promising movie with lots of action, thrill, spy-craft, and not to mention a slew of cutting-edge gizmos and gadgets to help the team achieve their goals. It’s slick, sleek, and super chic, not necessarily in the same order.

When Is The 355’s Release Date?

The 355 was originally scheduled for release on January 15, 2021. But due to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions, the release got postponed to January 14, 2022. And finally, the date was moved up by a week. Now, the action-thriller film is all set to release on January 7, 2022.

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Who Is in The 355’s Cast?

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Image via Universal

The ensemble female cast of The 355 is one of the major highlights of the movie and is definitely something to look forward to.

Oscar-nominated Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Help) leads the cast as the MIA Agent Mason Brown alongside the iconic Penélope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona, Nine), Diane Kruger (Troy, Inglourious Basterds), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Black Panther), and Fan Bingbing (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Iron Man 3), in the leading roles. The ensemble cast also includes Sebastian Stan (Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Édgar Ramírez (The Girl on the Train, Wasp Network), Emilio Insolera, Jason Wong, John Douglas Thompson, Hiten Patel, Leo Staar, and Oleg Kricunova, among many others.

Who Are the Key Characters in The 355?

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Image via Universal

The star-studded canvas of The 355 explores some very powerful and talented women and men. Here’s a quick look at the characters:

  • Jessica Chastain as Mason "Mace" Brown – A CIA agent who goes off the record to recruit a team to discover and put a stop to an international terrorist group. Brown believes that this group owns (or is about to own) a very powerful and lethal weapon that could end the world.
  • Lupita Nyong’o as Khadijah – A former MI6 agent. A no-nonsense, straight-talking woman, Khadijah is the world’s best computer specialist according to Brown and her cutting-edge tech skills can help Brown achieve her mission.
  • Diane Kruger as Marie Schmidt – A rival BND (Federal Intelligence Service Germany) agent who knows her guns and is exceptionally good at them. She eventually teams up with Brown on the mission.
  • Penelope Cruz as Graciela – A skilled psychologist who works with the DNI, the Colombian intelligence agency. A skilled agent and psychologist, Graciela is not like her fellow agents. She is a mother of two and is not trained for the field but Brown and her team are going to make sure Graciela catches up.
  • Fan Bingbing as Lin Mi Sheng - A mysterious Chinese MSS agent who is constantly tracking Brown and her team’s every move. Eventually, she also joins forces with them to thwart their common enemy.
  • Sebastian Stan as Nick – A CIA agent and colleague of Brown's. There may or may not be a romantic angle between the two.

Other major characters include Edgar Ramirez as Luis, a DNI agent, Emilio Insolera as Hacker, Jason Wong as Stevens, John Douglas Thompson as Larry Marks. Hiten Patel as Ahmed-Imam, Leo Staar as Grady, and Oleg Kricunova as Pyotr Khasanov.

When Was The 355 Filmed?

The filming for The 355 began in July 2019 but soon had to be stalled due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, the production resumed in July 2020, keeping necessary precautions and protocols in mind, and ended in November 2020, with the movie all prepped and ready to hit theaters in January 2022.

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Is The 355 Based on a True Story?

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Image via Universal

From the trailer, we learn from Jessica Chastain’s character that the idea of an Agent 355 goes way back to the days of George Washington.

“George Washington's first female spy during the Revolution. They called her Agent 355 because they didn't want the world to know her real name. But her legacy lives on."

The title of the movie as well as the concept is derived from this piece of historical trivia. Agent 355 was the code name of a female spy for the Patriots at the time of the American Revolution. She was a part of the Culper Ring (a network of spies organized by Benjamin Tallmadge and George Washington). Agent 355 was one of the first spies for the United States. The number, when decrypted from the system that the network used, translates to “lady”. No one knew of the original woman behind 355 and her real identity remains unknown to this day.

It is also believed that code 355 is not just a particular woman but any female spy who has useful information and works completely off the record. As Chastain explains in an interview, “For a lot of women who work in the CIA and other organizations like that, Code 355 is a universal slang term for a female spy”. It is obvious from the plot and the promos that the all-female team of spies inspired the name.

What Is The 355’s Plot?

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Image via Universal

The 355 is not just a spy story. It’s a story of five different women, each with their own struggles, challenges, and responsibilities. But they all find common ground in the one goal – to save the world and do their needful so others wake up to a safer tomorrow.

Mason “Mace” Brown, a top CIA agent, learns that the world is in imminent danger and seeks help from her boss. Instead, she is asked to go off the record and complete this mission. Brown hunts down the best of the best agents she knows from different countries. Soon, British, Columbian, and German agents join forces with her. Meanwhile, a Chinese agent is tapping their movements and watching the situation develop. From the trailer, it becomes clear that the Chinese agent will also become a part of the dream team – The 355.

“From cafes of Paris to the markets of Morocco to the wealth and glamour of Shanghai”, the five women set out on an explosive, action-packed mission, that could either save the world or cost their lives, or both. This is going to be fun!