Emma Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos are reuiniting following The Favourite for a new film, Poor Things. The film is an adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s book of the same title, and will likely be seen in theaters before the end of the year.
Based on the aforementioned book by Alasdair Gray, Poor Things tells a story with parallels with one that may be seen in Frankenstein, although in a feminine note. Namely: Bella Baxter (Stone) is a woman brought back to life by the scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), a researcher with an unorthodox methodology, who one day decides to escape with the lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) to see the world and fight for equality and liberation.
But it continues. As it has been shown at the Venice Film Festival, Poor Things deals with the story of an adult woman with the mind of a child. A person without the obstacles or morality imposed by social principles. A girl who carelessly lives her sexuality at a time when Hollywood seems not to forgive nudity. Emma Stone has even taken on the task of being a producer for this film.
In a featurette for the film released on August 30, Stone says Bella’s arc is understanding what it means to be a member of society, and a woman. That means sex, and lots of it. “Bella’s sexuality is an incredibly important part of the story,” the actress ays. “The human experience is fascinating to her, and sex is a major part of that.” In the clip, Bella is shown having sex with Ruffalo’s character before saying, “Why do people not do that all the time?”
“I wanted to play Bella because it felt like acceptance of what it is to be a woman, to be free, to be scared and brave,” Stone continued.
Emma Stone gives life to Bella Baxter and Willem Dafoe plays Dr. Godwin Baxter. Mark Ruffalo portrays Duncan Wedderburn. Christopher Abbott, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, Kathryn Hunter, Suzy Bemba, Wayne Brett, and John Locke are also in the cast.
In a trailer for the film, a ghostly pale, dark-haired Stone wanders, dances and runs around a dreamlike landscape. Something’s wrong, as she plays with animals that are half-dog, half-bird, and her movements are unusual. Dafoe then appears with Frankenstein-like scars on his own face, saying, “She’s an experiment. Her brain and her body are not quite synchronized. But she’s progressing at an accelerated pace.” As images of Bella trying to act as a normal person show through the screen, Stone narrates, “I am Bella Baxter. And there is a world to enjoy, circumnavigate. It is the goal of all to progress, grow.”
The role marks Stone’s first major feature film since 2021’s Disney movie, Cruella. It’s also her third collaboration with Lanthimos. She received an Oscar nod for her part in the Greek director’s 2018 period drama The Favourite and also worked with him on the short film Bleat. She’s also in his upcoming film And, starring Dafoe, Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer.
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