Angelina Jolie is set to lead a new studio spy thriller titled The Initiative, reuniting with director Doug Liman nearly two decades after their hit pairing on Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The project is being set at Universal, with talks underway for the studio to board what industry trackers describe as a high-priority package. Plot details remain under wraps.
The screenplay is by F. Scott Frazier, whose credits include xXx: Return of Xander Cage and Collide, while producers Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum are attached through RK Films. Their prior collaboration with Jolie on the Maleficent franchise has been cited in trade reports as part of the project’s pedigree, though casting beyond the lead role has not been announced.
The Initiative marks a return to sleek espionage terrain for Liman, known for kinetic, character-forward action films. He directed The Bourne Identity and later balanced romance and spycraft with Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the latter establishing the director–star pairing now set to revive. The new film arrives as Liman continues to juggle large-scale projects and studio partnerships, a through line of his career since the 2000s.
For Jolie, the role adds a high-profile commercial vehicle alongside recent prestige work and producing efforts. The Oscar winner has oscillated between auteur-driven dramas and audience-friendly franchises over the last decade, keeping her a bankable presence for global theatrical markets and studio streamers alike. While no production timetable or release plan has been made public, reports suggest the package is moving quickly through the studio pipeline, with development steps preceding casting and scheduling decisions.
