The upcoming IFC thriller Rogue Agent, starring Gemma Arterton and James Norton in a cat-and-mouse battle to bring down an infamous manipulator posing as an MI5 agent, has a new teaser, which Collider can exclusively reveal. Norton is the manipulator, and Arterton is one of his victims who was swayed by his charm and is now trying to bring him to justice in the trailer. On August 12, the film will be released in cinemas and on AMC+. As told in the Netflix documentary The Puppet Master, this film is based on the actual tale of con artist Robert Freegard (Norton), who deceives his victims into believing he is an agent of the British intelligence agency MI5.
James Bond Freegard, on the other hand, is not, as he concocts a plan to hide his victims. Alice Archer (Arterton) is shown being courted by Freegard, who appears to be a charismatic auto salesman in the video. They have a good time as a result of his antics and end up at Freegard’s house. Alice already senses something’s wrong with him when he reveals that he’s a covert operative for the British government. During Alice’s investigation into Freegard, she discovers that the man is not only unconnected to the British government, but also has a questionable past, including stalking and harassment of a female victim.
As soon as Alice discovers that Freegard has kidnapped another lady, the hunt for the con artist begins. Despite the rising criticism from both the British government and the woman who was duped by him, he is mocked as a persistent villain. The constant ringing of a phone teases Freegard’s assailants, who become increasingly anxious to find him because of the danger he poses. Rogue Agent also features Marisa Abela, Sarah Goldberg, Shazad Latif, Freya Mavor, Jimmy Akingbola, and Julian Barrat in addition to Arterton and Norton. The screenplay by Michael Bronner was directed by Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson.
As a producer and writer, Bronner has a long list of impressive accomplishments to his name, including Tahar Rahim’s critically acclaimed The Mauritanian and the production of Captain Philips. Rough, The Salisbury Poisons, and The Undeclared War – all starring Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead – were among the collaborations between Lawn and Patterson. Since The Puppet Master was such a big hit on Netflix, IFC is betting big on the Freegard narrative. With a Rotten Tomatoes audience rating of 78%, the docuseries has received a lot of appreciation for its portrayal of Freegard as a ruthless abuser who impacted the lives of many women and their families. It’ll be more dramatized in the film, but even in the teaser, Freegard’s misdeeds already seem evil.
The film Rogue Agent will premiere in cinemas and on AMC+ on August 12th.