Yorgos Lanthimos’ upcoming film Poor Things will see the co-production partnership of Searchlight Pictures, Element Pictures, and Film4 continue following their 2019 Oscar-nominated feature The Favourite.
Oscar winning actor Emma Stone (La La Land) will star opposite Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight) and four-time Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) in the film adaptation of Alasdair Grey’s novel of the same name.
The film also stars Margaret Qualley (Once Upon A Time in Hollywood), Christopher Abbott (Bring The Down, Possessor), comedian Jerrod Carmichael, and Ramy Youssef (Ramy).
Poor Things will be produced and directed by Lanthimos from a script by Australian writer Tony McNamara, following the pair's collaboration on The Favourite, which earned them both an Oscar nomination for co-writing the screenplay.
Alasdair Grey’s 1992 novel is a Victorian-set tale heavily inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The film is described as “a Victorian tale of love, discovery and scientific daring”, following the story of Belle Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by an eccentric but brilliant scientist.
Irish producers Ed Guiney (Room) and Andrew Lowe (The Guard) of Element Pictures will return to produce the film, having previously produced all of Lanthimos’ English-language films (The Favourite, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and The Lobster). Emma Stone will also feature as a producer on the project under her production company, Fruit Tree.
Poor Things is set to release in Irish cinemas on September 3rd, 2023.