Zoë Kravitz's 'Pussy Island' will explore the "sexual politics" of the film industry
Zoë Kravitz is mixing things up and moving behind the camera. The actress will make her directing debut with thriller Pussy Island, a film that will explore the "sexual politics" of the movie industry.
Channing Tatum will star in the film, which was written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum. It follows the story of clever cocktail waitress, Frida, who is living in Los Angeles and has eyes for tech billionaire Slater King (played by Tatum). Frida makes her way into King’s impressive inner circle and finds herself at an intimate private island party, where there’s something terrifying going on behind the scenes.
“The title means a lot of things,” Kravitz told Deadline. “I started writing this story in 2017. As a woman in general, and a woman in this industry, I’ve experienced some pretty wild behaviour from the opposite sex. The title was kind of a joke at first, this place where people would go, bring women, party and hang out.”
“The story evolved into something else, but the title wound up having multiple meanings. And it alludes to this time and place we claim to not be in anymore, in terms of sexual politics. People are evolving and changing but there is still a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths from past behaviour. It’s a nod to that, but it’s also playful, and a really playful film in a lot of ways. I like that the title leads with that and has some heavy meaning beneath it.”
For Kravitz, Tatum was her first choice to play the character of the tech billionaire: “I just knew from Magic Mike and his live shows, I got the sense he’s a true feminist and I wanted to collaborate with someone who was clearly interested in exploring this subject matter.”
Tatum said he was surprised to be offered the part after consistently being offered the same character throughout his career. “No one gives me a chance to play a role like this,” he told the magazine.
“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,” he added. “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, the you’re a man, I’m a woman, it’s us against you thing.”
For the main part of Frida, Kravitz wrote her own dream part to play and will cast another female lead instead of herself so she can focus on directing.
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