Michael Mann directed the 2015 cyber-thriller Blackhat, starring Chris Hemsworth as Nicholas Hathaway. Hathaway is a convicted computer hacker released temporarily to help investigate a series of international cyberattacks.
The film moves between the United States, China and Indonesia as investigators try to identify the attackers and stop further damage. Mann was interested in portraying computer operations as physical, procedural work rather than treating hacking as purely magical screen technology. The production included consultation with cybersecurity specialists.
Blackhat was written by Morgan Davis Foehl and produced by Legendary Pictures and Forward Pass. Alongside Hemsworth, the cast includes Tang Wei, Leehom Wang and Viola Davis. Mann had previously directed crime and technology-related films such as Heat, The Insider and Miami Vice.
The movie’s title uses “black hat,” a common cybersecurity term for someone who performs malicious or unauthorized activity. That term is different from Hathaway’s name and does not identify the film’s villain. Blackhat received mixed reviews and performed below expectations at the box office.