Zoë Kravitz Is Making Her Film Directorial Debut With Pussy Island
Zoe Kravitz is becoming the newest triple-threat in Hollywood. She’s making the leap from actress to film director and screenwriter, adding to her already-notable pedigree and on-screen credits, including Big Little Lies, High Fidelity, and the next Batman flick. Deadline reports that Kravitz will make her directorial and writing debut with a thriller called Pussy Island, which is even more perfect, given that Channing Tatum has been announced as its leading star.
She described Pussy Island as borrowing from different genres. “There’s absolutely a thriller element to the film, but it has comedy, drama and real heart,” Kravitz told Deadline. The script, which took her “several years” to co-write with E.T. Feigenbaum, tells the story of a cocktail server named Frida. She has the hots for Slater, a wealthy tech bro (played by Tatum), and soon enough, the two jet off to his private island to party with his fellow tech bros. Naturally, as in John Fowles’ horror-thriller novel The Magus, this cabal of rich elites are hiding a dark secret, and now Frida is stuck in a horrible redux of Fyre Fest.
The film explores themes of modern sexual and gender dynamics. While Tatum may seem like an unconventional casting choice, Kravitz said that she wrote the part of Slater specifically with him in mind. Citing Tatum’s semi-autobiographical performance in Magic Mike, she “got the sense he’s a true feminist and I wanted to collaborate with someone who was clearly interested in exploring this subject matter,” and even collaborated with him to develop the character.
Still, he’s keenly aware that he’s been typecast as the male stripper guy. “No one gives me a chance to play a role like this, everybody throws me down a different alley and expects me to do a certain thing,” he said. In pre-filming discussions with Deadline, Tatum praised Kravitz’ direction style, and how it allowed him to get out of his comfort zone. “It was scary and liberating, just to be able to have a free conversation, where I was allowed to mess up, and say the wrong things,” said Tatum. “It became less about men and women and on more of a human thing that will open people’s eyes, rather than us drawing lines in the sand.”
Kravitz will not play the leading role of Frida, so she can devote herself to directing the film. That part will go to another, as-yet unannounced actress. Production of Pussy Island will begin next year.
