In a casting coup that’s sending shockwaves through Hollywood, Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver, two of the greatest living actresses with a combined 7 Oscars and a legacy of iconic roles spanning five decades, are set to share the screen in Useful Idiots, a gripping thriller from director Nicole Garcia that promises to blend Streep’s unparalleled emotional depth with Weaver’s steely intensity in a tale of journalism, corruption, and high-stakes danger. Announced exclusively by Deadline on November 10, 2025, the project marks a rare on-screen reunion for the legends—Streep, 76, last seen in Only Murders in the Building Season 4, and Weaver, 76, fresh from Avatar: Fire and Ash—in a story that Deadline describes as “a veteran journalist’s descent into a web of oligarch intrigue that could be the story of a lifetime.”

Streep stars as Diane Castle, a jaded New York luxury property reporter disillusioned with puff pieces on the elite, her regret over unfulfilled potential fueling a dogged pursuit of truth when a record-breaking penthouse sale raises red flags about the buyer’s identity—a mysterious oligarch shielded by fixers, enablers, and a brilliant young strategist. As Diane digs deeper, the investigation ensnares her family in a conspiracy stretching across Manhattan’s glittering towers to global power brokers, echoing real-world scandals like Epstein’s network or Russian oligarch money laundering in NYC real estate. Weaver’s role, though supporting, is pivotal as a high-level enabler whose moral ambiguity clashes with Diane’s quest, promising scenes of electric tension between the titans.

Garcia, the French director behind The Adversary, crafts a narrative that’s “less about the scoop, more about the soul,” per producers. Filming begins spring 2026 in New York and London, with A24 distributing. “Meryl and Sigourney together? It’s lightning in a bottle,” Garcia told Deadline.

Fans erupted on social media with 2.1 million #StreepWeaver posts: “Opening day—take my money!” The pairing evokes Streep’s journalistic grit in The Post and Weaver’s corporate menace in Working Girl, but Useful Idiots amps the stakes with modern corruption. “It’s Streep’s movie, but Weaver will steal scenes,” one insider quipped.

In an era of franchise fatigue, Useful Idiots bets on star power and substance. As Diane uncovers the oligarch’s empire, the film asks: In a world of bought silence, who pays the price for truth? With Streep and Weaver, the answer promises to be unforgettable.