Keira Knightley has done many things in her so-far illustrious career, but it's fair to say she's never necessarily been a full-on action heroine. While her roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean series did involve some swordplay and maybe the odd musket, her new role for Netflix looks like it's on a different level entirely.
Black Doves got its first trailer recently, and looks like it'll play Knightley against type, as a viciously efficient spy who's been living a double life. That life is clearly going to be ripped to shreds by violent assassins to kick off a crazy series of events.
She's not the only big-name actor in Black Doves, either. Ben Whishaw in on-hand with a surprisingly hairy look to play someone who seems a lot like an ex-colleague of hers, now chipping in to help her survive. Plus, Happy Valley's unbelievably impressive Sarah Lancashire will be behind the scenes pulling strings.
The trailer isn't too secretive, either – it gives us a good look at some pretty gnarly action scenes, including Knightley defending herself from two assassins with the aid of a kitchen knife and her gun. Rescued by a shotgun-toting Whishaw, she ends the scene literally covered in blood, swearing like a trooper and ready for revenge. We also get to see a few different looks that she'll have during the six-part series, from hair changes to killer outfits.
All of that serves to confirm that this is indeed Knightley as we haven't seen her before, and it underlines the fact that this sort of action-thriller is really in vogue right now. Think John Wick, Nobody, Ballerina and more – everyone's queuing up to take their turn as a grizzled action lead.
Netflix will be hoping that Black Doves can conjure up the same word-of-mouth success that the John Wick franchise has enjoyed over the last half-decade, and Knightley will doubtless hope it can help people see a few more levels in her game. Even a hint of that level of reception would count as a win, one that could continue to see Netflix sit at the top of many people's lists of the best streaming services.
