Angelina Jolie, Doug Liman reunite for spy thriller ‘The Initiative’

Angelina Jolie is set to headline the upcoming spy thriller "The Initiative", reuniting with her "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" director Doug Liman. Universal Pictures is currently in talks to acquire the project, with F Scott Frazier — known for "Collide" and "xXx: The R eturn of Xander Cage" — attached to write the screenplay. 

The story is being kept under wraps, but the film is expected to mark Jolie's return to the sleek action thrillers that solidified her box office appeal, such as "Salt", "The Tourist" and "Wanted".

Jeff Kirschenbaum will produce under Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, which shares a long-standing relationship with Jolie, having backed her "Maleficent" films for Disney. If the deal with Universal closes, executive VP of production development Jay Polidoro and director of development Tony Ducret will oversee the project for the studio.

Winner of an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for "Girl, Interrupted", Jolie was most recently seen in Pablo Larraín's "Maria", earning critical acclaim for portraying soprano Maria Callas. She will next appear in Alice Winocour's bilingual drama "Couture", which she also produced, and in a feature adaptation of "Anxious People" by Marc Forster. 

As a filmmaker, Jolie has directed "First They Killed My Father", the Oscar-nominated biopic "Unbroken", and the upcoming "Without Blood" starring Salma Hayek Pinault and Demian Bichir.

Doug Liman recently directed "Roadhouse" for Amazon MGM Studios and "The Instigations" for Apple TV+, and continues his collaboration with Universal following "The Bourne Identity" and "American Made". He is also developing a feature with Tom Cruise that will be shot entirely in space.

The Hollywood Reporter first revealed news of the project.