Jennifer Lawrence plays a Russian spy who targets a CIA agent in her latest movie. And while the premise may sound oddly timely, the concept for “Red Sparrow” came about way before the latest tensions between the U.S. and Russia emerged. “When we started the movie three years ago, that side of the story did not seem relevant at all,” director Francis Lawrence told Cheddar. “Obviously the election happened, and the news of the possible Russian ties sort of hit the news. And suddenly that facet of our film seemed like it was really reflecting the world where we live today.” The movie, based on the Jason Matthews novel, follows the story of ballerina Dominika Egorova, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who joins a Russian secret intelligence agency after injury ends her career. The director, who also worked with the Oscar-winning actress on three of the “Hunger Games” movies, says the new film will raise awareness on a host of relevant issues. “Red Sparrow” premieres in theaters on March 2nd. For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/red-sparrow-director-talks-new-jennifer-lawrence-film).
