Poor Things looks to be another winning collaboration between director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) and Emma Stone. The surrealist fantasy take on the classic Frankenstein tale took home the Golden Lion Best Film Prize at this year's 80th Venice International Film Festival.
"It took us quite a few years to get it made, until the world — or our industry — was ready for this film," remarked Lanthimos during the film festival's closing ceremony this past weekend. "Above all, this film is the central character, is Bella Baxter, is this incredible creature, and she wouldn't exist without Emma Stone, another incredible creature. This film is her, in front and behind the camera."
Emma Stone did not attend the Venice Film Festival due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which prevents actors from promoting any upcoming films.
Prior to the strike, Stone shared how a mistake with her hair became a key element in the film.
Lanthimos and Stone previously collaborated on 2018's The Favourite.
Stone and Lanthimos' work on The Favourite, resulted in multiple accolades at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, the 72nd BAFTA Awards, the Golden Globes, and the 91st Academy Awards in 2018.
Poor Things is a surrealist sci-fi fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos from a screenplay by Tony McNamara (Cruella). The film is based on a 1992 novel of the same name, written by Alasdair Gray.
Recently, Poor Things had its domestic theatrical release delayed from September 8 to December 8, 2023, due to the SAG-AFTRA strike- particularly the guild rule that prohibits actors from promoting their films. It's thought that Searchlight Pictures would like to make an awards season push for the film, which would obviously be hampered by this limitation.
Poor Things Official Synopsis: From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe).
Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.