Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut Pussy Island has everyone excited. Described as a ‘genre thriller,’ the actor will get behind the camera to direct from a script she co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum. The movie has an illustrious cast that includes Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, and Simon Rex among others. In a recent chat with WSJ Magazine, Kravitz reflected on her decision to cast Tatum as she believed “he’s not afraid to explore darkness” and that she “knew from afar that he’s a feminist.”
The film’s original idea began five years ago before the #MeToo movement came across, nonetheless, for Kravitz, it was born out of “a lot of anger and frustration around the lack of conversation about the treatment of women” in industries that have a lot of money involved. Pussy Island follows Frida (Ackie), a young cocktail waitress who has her eyes set on a philanthropist and tech mogul Slater King (Tatum). Frida thinks she has made it when King reciprocates her advances and invites her to an intimate gathering on his private island. As she easily slips into the world of the rich and famous, she comes to a realization that despite the beautiful setting, amazing people, and wild late-night parties, there’s more to the island than meets the eye. Something terrifying.
For Tatum playing a dark sinister character like Slater King is a first of its kind in his illustrious career. While we’ve seen him playing the boy next door or good boyfriend numerous times Kravitz was drawn to pick him for playing King as he “hadn’t played a dark character before.” She further explains,
I think that’s exciting to watch someone who’s mostly played boy next door, good guy, love interest, all of that. I felt, even from afar, before I knew him, that he was a feminist and that he wasn’t afraid of exploring that darkness, because he knows he’s not that. That’s why I was drawn to him and I wanted to meet with him. And I was right.
As for her directing duties, Kravitz revealed that she’s “learning a lot about what it takes to make a movie and how many fires are constantly being put out.” However, she’s also trying not to be overwhelmed, “If you zoom out too much and think about the whole thing at once, it causes a lot of anxiety but if you focus on the present moment, it’s really fun.”
No release date is set for Pussy Island, yet. Meanwhile, check out our interview with Kravitz:
