Anne Hathaway & Jessica Chastain Have a Mother-Off in Plunging Gala Gowns

A category five mothership led by Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain descended upon New York City last night. On Thursday, the mothers…I mean…Mothers’ Instinct costars stepped out to the National Board of Review Gala in New York City wearing awards-worthy evening dresses.

Despite the varying shades of their gowns, both Hathaway and Chastain agreed upon very, very low-cut necklines. Hathaway took the plunge in a glitzy Giorgio Armani beaded number that was the perfect twist on the classic Hollywood LBD. The piece was designed with a dramatic, skin-baring bodice and a strap detail that wrapped around the back. Hathaway is never one to complicate things, and her accessories followed as such—the actor opted for silver Bulgari jewels, as her black Aquazurra heels stayed hidden beneath the slight train of her dress. Hathway styled her brunette hair in casual, loose waves, while her natural glam look consisted of flushed, dewy makeup and a glossy lip. Chastain similarly stepped out to the star-studded evening with a bombshell outfit of her own.

The film star dazzled in a princess-style Vivienne Westwood gown that she topped off with jewelry from Suzanne Kalan. Her reflective purple dress featured the British brand’s signature corset detailing and finished with a slight train. Chastain picked up on Hathaway’s lead, with a relatively pared-back beauty look.

For those of us who enjoyed seeing the two Academy Award–winning actors in their finest gala fashions, they’ll soon be making their way to the silver screen to engage in a literal mother-off with Mothers’ Instinct. In the upcoming film, Hathaway and Chastain will star as best friends and neighbors who allow “guilt, suspicion, and paranoia” to “bleed into their friendship as a psychological battle of wills gives way to a darker side of the maternal instinct,” per an official synopsis.

“That was the hardest role I have played,” Hathaway recently told Vogue Hong Kong. “It touched my worst fear, and I almost backed out of the film because I didn’t know if I could go there as an actress.”

“Of course it’s a different kind of film, but it’s this idea of these two actresses coming together and playing this…the tension I think is very interesting,” Chastain told IndieWire. “Thank god Annie and I love each other.”