Director Tom Harper has set his next feature. Heart of Stone, a new action thriller spy movie starring Gal Gadot, is set to land on Netflix next year.

Harper is known for his work in both television and film, working on series such as Peaky Blinders and War & Peace and directing the films The Aeronauts and Wild Rose. Harper will direct Heart of Stone, while the screenplay is written by Greg Rucka and Alison Schroeder from a story by Rucka, according to Deadline. Production will be handled by Mockingbird Pictures, Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger, and Pilot Wave’s Jason Varsano, Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn, and star Gal Gadot. Netflix will handle worldwide distribution rights.

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So, what do we know about the production of Heart of Stone? What can be expected from the plot, and how will it reinvent the conventional “spy thriller” movie? In addition to lead Gadot, who can we expect to see in the star-studded cast? When and where can we see the film once it is released? What else should audiences know about Heart of Stone?

Heart of Stone: The Plot

As of this writing, specific plot details are being kept under wraps. However, we have a general idea of what to expect from the plot and the aspirations that Netflix has for the franchise as a whole. The film reportedly centers on CIA agent Rachel Stone, the titular “heart of stone.” She is the only one who is standing between her organization and losing its most crucial asset.

Netflix released a teaser where Gal Gadot and other cast members describe what the film is all about while giving a look behind the scenes. Though light on specific details, we see Gadot’s Rachel Stone living a solitary life, unable to have any personal relationships due to the spy life she has chosen. The teaser takes us behind the scenes of numerous stunts and action shots, bouncing between production and the finished product. Stone gets into fights, car chases, engages in shootouts, jumps out of planes, and blows up buildings in all the hallmarks that we have come to expect out of our action movies.

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In the teaser, Gadot describes the film as “extremely epic” and a “super grounded, raw, action thriller.” She adds that “we really wanted to make sure we keep it realistic, so people can feel the pain. Rachel Stone lives off the adrenaline. She’s addicted to it.” This suggests that Heart of Stone will place a greater emphasis on the humanity of the characters. Rachel Stone needs that spy lifestyle to survive, indicating that the action scenes will serve a greater purpose for her character rather than just gratuitous stunts for the sake of stunts.

Netflix has high aspirations for Heart of Stone, with it potentially being the launching pad for a new female-led spy thriller franchise in the vein of James Bond, Mission: Impossible, and the Bourne franchise. However, any potential franchise will have to depend on the performance of the first film. We can expect more detailed plot information, such as an official synopsis or trailer, to come out in the coming months as production continues.

Heart of Stone: The Cast

     Netflix

We know that Gal Gadot is starring in the lead role as Rachel Stone in addition to serving as a co-producer. But, who else is joining her? Jamie Dornan, known from Fifty Shades of Grey and Belfast, will play the role of Parker opposite Gadot’s Stone. There are no additional details surrounding his role at this point.

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Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt is playing Keya Dhawan. Bhatt is widely known for her roles in Indian films like the worldwide hit RRR and Brahmāstra: Part One - Shiva. Not much is currently known about Bhatt’s role, other than that it is her first-ever role in an English-language Hollywood production.

Additional cast members include British actress and Tony Award winner Sophie Okonedo, German actor Matthias Schweighöfer, known from Army of the Dead, Crazy Rich Asians actor Jing Lusi, and AMC’s The Terror actor Paul Ready. Additional names have floated around, but none have been officially confirmed.

More casting information, as well as confirmation of roles for existing cast members, will likely be revealed in the coming weeks and months as more concrete production details surface.

Release Date

Currently, there is no exact release date for Heart of Stone. We only know that it is expected to be released on Netflix sometime in 2023. However, filming has been completed, and it took the cast all around the world. Production began in Northern Italy in January 2022 before moving to London in March. Filming took place in Iceland in April and returned to London in May. Production concluded in July 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. Given typical post-production turnaround time, it could be ready for a release in fall or winter 2023.