What Excited Michael Fassbender About The 'Black Bag' Script?

Michael Fassbender is one of our best actors, but that doesn't stop him from having to read scripts. He still has to sort through the material and try to pick what speaks to him. Over the last couple of years, he's taken some time off to do just that. Fassbender talked with Indiewire about his hiatus from acting and what brought him back to the big screen. Now he's starring in Steven Soderbergh's Black Bag, a sizzling spy thriller that has debuted to extremely favorable reviews. So, what made this the project to come back to work for? Fassbender said, “It was a fantastic collection of characters. And it falls into the film demographic that we just don’t see a lot of these days. That it was going to get made was exciting. It’s hard for film companies to support films in that budget category, there’s not many $30 to $40 million films anymore, unfortunately.”David Koepp wrote the script, which sounds like an absolute blast Fassbender continued, “As I started reading the script: ‘Wow, this is smart and funny.’ And it moved at a click. The pace at which I was propelled forward by these characters was exciting. And we were in this spy genre: the story wasn’t motivated by action set pieces, it was psychological warfare going on between these fascinating and intriguing characters. There are a couple of visceral moments in the film that are quite violent, for sure, but what’s propelling it forward are these crackling scenes of dialogue and intellect between these characters.” 'Black Bag'CREDIT: Focus FeaturesThat's high praise for what's on the page, and it is a valuable lesson for our readers. Pace is an underrated screenplay trait that makes actors lean in. If the story moves, they'll see the potential for it to be a hit, and it'll keep them turning the pages. Of course, this script benefitted from having Soderbergh direct it. And when he directed it, he did another thing that should be a valuable lesson. He made things relaxed and was in total command. Fassbender said of Soderbergh's style, “Steven Soderbergh sets up a relaxed atmosphere on set.” Fassbender continued, “It’s fun to watch him come into a room, look around, light it, be the DP [director of photography], operate the camera, be the director, and then go home and edit whatever we shot that day. We move fast. He’ll operate 95 percent of the time. You’re always trying to develop a rapport with the person behind the camera because you’re going to be doing a dance with them throughout. He has a lot of confidence in the way he casts it. It’s a choice of his not to interfere with whatever the players are bringing.”I cannot stress how important it is for writers and directors to show talent they are in control. That means writing precise actions and dialogue for them, and it means running a set with efficiency and confidence. If you want to work with A-listers, you need to reel them in. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Mar 14, 2025 - 23:07

What Excited Michael Fassbender About The 'Black Bag' Script?

Michael Fassbender is one of our best actors, but that doesn't stop him from having to read scripts. He still has to sort through the material and try to pick what speaks to him.

Over the last couple of years, he's taken some time off to do just that.

Fassbender talked with Indiewire about his hiatus from acting and what brought him back to the big screen.

Now he's starring in Steven Soderbergh's Black Bag, a sizzling spy thriller that has debuted to extremely favorable reviews.

So, what made this the project to come back to work for?

Fassbender said, “It was a fantastic collection of characters. And it falls into the film demographic that we just don’t see a lot of these days. That it was going to get made was exciting. It’s hard for film companies to support films in that budget category, there’s not many $30 to $40 million films anymore, unfortunately.”

David Koepp wrote the script, which sounds like an absolute blast

Fassbender continued, “As I started reading the script: ‘Wow, this is smart and funny.’ And it moved at a click. The pace at which I was propelled forward by these characters was exciting. And we were in this spy genre: the story wasn’t motivated by action set pieces, it was psychological warfare going on between these fascinating and intriguing characters. There are a couple of visceral moments in the film that are quite violent, for sure, but what’s propelling it forward are these crackling scenes of dialogue and intellect between these characters.”

What Excited Michael Fassbender About The 'Black Bag' Script? 'Black Bag'CREDIT: Focus Features

That's high praise for what's on the page, and it is a valuable lesson for our readers. Pace is an underrated screenplay trait that makes actors lean in. If the story moves, they'll see the potential for it to be a hit, and it'll keep them turning the pages.

Of course, this script benefitted from having Soderbergh direct it.

And when he directed it, he did another thing that should be a valuable lesson.

He made things relaxed and was in total command.

Fassbender said of Soderbergh's style, “Steven Soderbergh sets up a relaxed atmosphere on set.” Fassbender continued, “It’s fun to watch him come into a room, look around, light it, be the DP [director of photography], operate the camera, be the director, and then go home and edit whatever we shot that day. We move fast. He’ll operate 95 percent of the time. You’re always trying to develop a rapport with the person behind the camera because you’re going to be doing a dance with them throughout. He has a lot of confidence in the way he casts it. It’s a choice of his not to interfere with whatever the players are bringing.”

I cannot stress how important it is for writers and directors to show talent they are in control. That means writing precise actions and dialogue for them, and it means running a set with efficiency and confidence.

If you want to work with A-listers, you need to reel them in.

Let me know what you think in the comments.