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).
Julie Boardman, co-founder of The Museum of Broadway, joined Cheddar News to discuss the
history of theater in New York City, showed some of the gallery exhibits and gave a behind-the-scenes tour of how some of the shows are produced.
Dania Diaz, managing director of Roc Nation and one of the founding members of its United Justice Coalition, joined Cheddar News to discuss how the organization helps to address violence in Black and Brown communities and what they expect to talk about at an upcoming summit.
A new study examined the link between mental health and internet use and didn't find that it was consistently linked to negative psychological outcomes.
A judge overseeing the estate of Aretha Franklin awarded real estate to the late star's sons, citing a handwritten will from 2014 that was found between couch cushions.