(Left) ‘Nightbitch’ director Marielle Heller. (Right) 1992’s ‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Preview:
Director Marielle Heller is developing a live-action ‘FernGully’.
It’ll be a remake of the 1992 animated movie.
Amazon MGM Studios is backing the project.
1992’s Environmental-themed ‘FernGully’ wasn’t exactly a big hit upon its original release –– it made $32 million worldwide against a $24 million budget. But in the decades since, it has earned a place in at least some cinemagoers’ hearts.
That’s surely what Amazon MGM Studios will be hoping for as it sets ‘Nightbitch’ filmmaker Marielle Heller to write and direct a live-action update.
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And let’s not forget that the studio will also be aiming to replicate the success seen by the likes of Disney and DreamWorks Animation, which have seen several re-imaginings of their cartoon output do good business at the box office in the last few years.
1992’s ‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
The original film followed the magical inhabitants of an Australian rainforest as they fight to save their home, which is threatened by logging and a polluting force of destruction called Hexxus.
We don’t yet know what elements Heller –– who has written and will direct the new film –– is retaining.
When will the new ‘FernGully’ be in theaters?
Amazon MGM Studios has yet to say anything about the movie’s potential release date (and we notice it wasn’t mentioned as part of the company’s CinemaCon presentation), so we’ll have to wait and see on that front.
1992’s ‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Movies where characters have no names, and only referred to as “Mother” or other archetypes, always make us suspicious. While it can work in book form, film is a much more visual medium and therefore a more specific one, and while that lack of specificity may make a story on the page more universal or metaphorical, the more concrete language of film may demand a little more out of its characters.
That’s especially true when you set them in a realistic – if also unnamed – time and place, as Marielle Heller’s film ‘Nightbitch’ does. An adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel, the movie stars Amy Adams as a stay-at-home mom (named ‘Mother’) who has given up a career as an artist and pretty much all of her self-identity to take care of her toddler (‘Son’). But Mother’s frustration with her choices manifests itself in some seemingly peculiar ways, leaving ‘Nightbitch’ in an uneasy and not super-successful limbo between satire, allegory, and body horror exercise.
Mother (Amy Adams) has given up her career as an artist to stay at home and take of, as she puts it, “a person who will pee in your face without blinking.” Her daily routine with her son – walks in the neighborhood, trips to the supermarket, crafts and games in the house, the same thing every day for lunch – becomes soul-crushingly numbing; she showed her work “at the Modern” once, but is “just dumb now.”
She attends mommy groups at the library but confesses in voiceover that she hates the other moms, all of whom seem to be having a much blissful experience than she is. Meanwhile, the barely present Husband (Scoot McNairy) is off traveling most days for his anonymous job, leaving Mother to take care of Son, run the house, and listen to Husband’s whining about how their relationship isn’t what it was before Son came along. “What happened to my wife?” he asks at one point. “She died in childbirth,” says Mother bitterly.
It is those punishing early days of motherhood that ‘Nightbitch’ (the film) gets right, with director Heller saying that Rachel Yoder’s book impacted her just as she stayed home for several years with her own young children. But while Heller has a great eye for emotional and physical detail in the everyday lives of dysfunctional people (just watch her marvelous ‘Diary of a Teenage Girl’ or the brilliant ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’), she is less sure-footed when ‘Nightbitch’ takes a turn into surrealism with a touch of body horror.
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Mother begins to notice fuzz growing on her back and face, while her teeth seem to sharpen; a bump on the end of her spine soon elongates into what appears to be a tail. Wild dogs begin congregating around her house at night, sometimes leaving her their kills. She herself craves raw meat. And finally one night, Mother changes into a canine form, running on all fours through her nameless suburban neighborhood as if she’s just been released from solitary confinement. She’s free, she’s an animal, she’s a primal force of nature – she’s herself.
Or is she? While such a transformation may work on the page, putting it on film makes it more literal and clunky. We’re never quite sure whether it’s all in Mother’s mind or not, and the earlier, emotionally truthful parts of the story simply don’t sit well with its flights of fancy. At one point, an enigmatic librarian named Norma (the great Jessica Harper) gives Mother a book called “A Field Guide to Magical Women,” suggesting that Mother is part of a long line of women who have “delayed their own greatness” (including Mother’s own mom). But just as things seem to come to a head – both in Mother’s own interior life and in her increasingly strained relationship with Husband – the story comes to a pat conclusion that seems to tie things up in simplistic fashion.
‘Nightbitch’ offers up some rich material for both Heller and Adams to mine, and hits upon some stark truths about motherhood – truths that often get buried in society’s rush to make it seem like it must be the ultimate achievement and defining moment in every woman’s life. But the film’s fantastical extension of those ideas doesn’t go very far, and the movie retreats from them almost as soon as it begins to explore them.
We can watch Amy Adams in just about anything, and ‘Nightbitch’ is really a showcase for her. Although Mother is more an idea than a full character in many ways, Adams brings a complexity to this woman that provides the main drive for the film. Mother’s exhaustion, boredom, and inner tension is palpable, as is her barely suppressed – and fully earned – rage when confronted with Husband’s neediness. And when her animalistic tendencies take over, her sexuality comes out unexpectedly as well, simmering, raw, and long-buried but still powerful. Although Adams is hampered by the script’s queasy sort of twilight existence, she still delivers a well-rounded and poignant performance.
Scoot McNairy, playing his second insecure male this year after his turn in the American remake of ‘Speak No Evil,’ does not fare nearly as well as Husband, a one-dimensional punching bag who pretty much deserves every (symbolic) blow he takes. Husband is clueless, unsympathetic, and emotionally absent, which makes his abrupt character turn toward the end of the film feel hollow. McNairy is a good actor who’s not served well by this role, and while Husband certainly represents a certain kind of husband and father (not all, but a lot) who see their role as merely bringing home the bacon while leaving the parenting to their partners, the film’s portrayal comes up short.
Although they’re all pretty thinly-drawn in a way, the women from the mommy group that Mother reluctantly hangs out with are at least fun to watch in a comic sense, and it’s always nice to see our beloved Jessica Harper (‘Suspiria,’ ‘Phantom of the Paradise’) onscreen even if her narrative thread ultimately doesn’t lead much of anywhere.
With award season upon us, there’s a good chance that Amy Adams might land her seventh Oscar nomination for ‘Nightbitch,’ and it would certainly be well-deserved. Whether she can win or not in a field that’s already looking fiercely competitive – with ‘Anora’ star Mikey Madison, ‘Babygirl’ lead Nicole Kidman, and Angelina Jolie from ‘Maria’ all in the running, among others – remains to be seen.
We just wish the movie around her was better. While the more realistic parts of ‘Nightbitch’ are on target much of the time, the film’s more allegorical or fantastical elements just don’t mesh as well, at least on film, and the director is never able to solve that problem. And instead of committing all the way to one direction or the other, ‘Nightbitch’ just kind of quickly wraps things up. Amy Adams’ provocative performance deserves better, but in the end this ‘Nightbitch’ lacks bite.
‘Nightbitch’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Nightbitch’?
An overwhelmed and frustrated stay-at-home mother (Amy Adams) begins to seemingly transform into a dog as she yearns to rediscover her own identity.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Amy Adams about her work on ‘Nightbitch’, developing the project as a producer, her approach to playing her character and the difficulties in her marriage, and the challenges of working with children and dogs.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Adams and director Marielle Heller.
MF: To begin with, can you talk about developing this project as a producer and the themes you wanted to explore on screen as an actress?
Amy Adams: Well, I read the novel before there was a screenplay, so I was brought early on to produce it with Sue Naegle and Annapurna Pictures. Then, we immediately got Mari (director Marielle Heller) on board and Mari’s unique perspective and how she brought that unique tone from the novel into the screenplay. I thought the tone was unique. I thought it dealt with so many important issues. It brings up not only motherhood, parenthood, relationships, community, generational trauma, all these things, of course, that I love to dive into. I really wanted to tell this story.
MF: Can you talk about the frustrations that your character is having with her husband and motherhood in general?
AA: I think as we find her in the film, she’s at this place where she and father (Scoot McNairy) haven’t really communicated effectively how there would be an equitable division inside of the home. She’s taken on the bulk of responsibility of parenthood. What I love about what Mari’s done with the film and how Scoot McNairy plays the father is that he really isn’t the antagonist of the film and nor is motherhood the antagonist. There’s always a conflict of, and I think that feels so human and so true, between feeling lost and feeling like you’ve lost yourself and yet loving the new life that you could create, but not knowing how important communication and community is through that. Again, I think Scoot does such a wonderful job of playing this husband because he is so loving and invested. He just doesn’t know what’s going on and she hasn’t been able to communicate the truth and the depth of her frustration and her loss of self.
MF: Finally, there is an old saying that you should “never work with children or animals,” and you do both in this film. What was that like for you?
AA: I said that making this movie was a lot like having a baby. Now that I’m done, I’m like, “It was not hard at all.” But I think in the moment, if I’m really being honest, there were some challenges, but it was such a wonderful experience. These boys, Emmett and Arleigh (Snowden), they’re these twins that we worked with, were so open and kind of reminded me of the natural give and take of acting that sometimes can get away from me in bigger themes. It kind of brought me back to the play of acting, and it was a lot of fun to work with them. They were so beautiful and the whole set rallied around the experience. We had the prop master constantly bringing new things for them to play with, and Mari down here talking to them. It was a full community working with these kids.
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What is the plot of ‘Nightbitch’?
The film concerns a magical realism-style story of a stay-at-home mom (Amy Adams) who sometimes transforms into a dog.
Hayley Law and Ben Rosenfield in ‘Mark, Mary + Some Other People’
‘Mark, Mary + Some Other People’ – written and directed by Hannah Marks
Born in Los Angeles and raised in San Luis Obispo, Hannah Marks made her film and television debut in 2005. She was twice nominated for the Young Artist Award, the first was for her work in the 2006 film ‘Accepted’ and then for her work on the television series ‘FlashForward’. In 2017, Rolling Stone Magazine listed her as on their 25 Under 25 Artists Changing the World feature. Since 2016 she had directed or co-directed four short films and two feature films. Her most recent film ‘Mark, Mary + Some Other People’ debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Starring Hayley Law and Ben Rosenfield, ‘Mark, Mary & Some Other People’ is a screwball romantic comedy about a young married couple who decide to try an open relationship. Equal as charming as it is insightful, the film explores the complicated interpersonal dynamics of romantic and sexual relationships. Shot around a pre-quarantine Los Angeles, Marks’ film is also a love letter to the unique diners, bars, and neighbors of LA and the Valley. An authentic look at twenty-something growing pains, ‘Mark, Mary + Some Other People’ marks a fresh new voice in the rom-com genre.
‘Mark, Mary + Some Other People’ is now available in select theaters and on demand.
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Hannah Marks spoke to Moviefone about her latest movie.
Moviefone: What led you to write a film about open relationships?
Hannah Marks: I felt like it was being talked about a lot among my friends and my peers. It felt like such a missed opportunity to not have an open relationship rom-com, although I’m sure that there have been some in the past. I just felt like it was time to do it again.
MF: Lea Thompson’s character plays a slightly older swinger. What kind of research did you do on the subject?
Marks: Yeah, I talked to a lot of people and I read a ton of articles. The New York Times did a great series on it. So that was incredibly helpful. A lot of that inspired different scenes. The scene when Mark and Mary are taking each other’s dating profile pictures, was inspired by the research. For Lea’s character, I thought it was important to have different generations talk about how it used to be versus how it is today. By no means do I want to preach how I think it should go. I think you can do monogamy, polyamory, ethical non monogamy, and it’s all okay. This relationship to me is not the example of what it’s supposed to be; It’s just one relationship and one experience.
MF: Did you always plan for Mark and Mary to be a younger married couple?
Marks: I’m a big fan of stories of young marriages. The first project that I co-directed was also about a young marriage. I think it’s such an interesting topic, when you commit your life to someone when you still have so much life left to give. I think it’s a fascinating topic. But there was a time when I considered making it an older married couple, because that had made more sense in the traditional sense; an older couple wanting to liven things up. So that was an initial draft of it, but it very quickly changed to being more about people in my age group because I wanted to write it as accurately as I could.
MF: How did you cast Hayley Law and Ben Rosenfield in the leads? Did you do a chemistry test?
Marks: They’re terrific. We honestly winged it, which is not really my style, but we were moving really, really fast. I place a lot of trust in actors. I had seen both of their work and was a fan, so I offered them the roles, and we did it. They had no chemistry read or anything. So it was a big gamble, but it really paid off. They were so terrific and dedicated and willing to improvise, which not every actor is willing to do. That was really important to me. I had seen Ben Rosenfield in ‘Boardwalk Empire’ and in ‘Six Years’ and I thought he was so versatile and special. Hayley Law had been in a friend’s movie called ‘Spontaneous’ and she was so good. I thought she stole every scene she was in. So it was just kind of a gut thing.
MF: Did you have the cast watch any specific films to get the screwball comedy vibe?
Marks: I’m a big fan of mumble core, so we talked about the Lena Dunham ‘Tiny Furniture’ way of working and early Noah Baumbach and Joe Swanberg. Those types of filmmakers. But really it was like let’s have fun with this and figure out where it can go and bring yourself to it. That was a big thing for me. I cast them because I found something about their personalities really compelling. So I wanted everyone to bring their own weird flavor to it.
MF: Could you talk about the location shooting in Los Angeles?
Marks: The locations were really difficult to get because we’re in Los Angeles on a shoestring budget. We didn’t have a location manager, so my producer and I were the location managers. There was a lot of begging, but I think we got really lucky. We got some wonderful spots that are unfortunately no longer around since the pandemic, so I’m glad they’re immortalized. There’s this place called Crawford’s which was a pretty iconic bar in the Valley and it’s now since closed. So I’m really glad we were there. We shot at this diner in Van Nuys called Hearts, which I just love the look of that place. I have such a soft spot in my heart for Valley diners. The apartments and the houses were in the Echo Park and Silverlake area. So we got a real mix. It was a real blast, but definitely hard when you don’t have the money to pay for LA locations.
MF: How did Patrick Stump come on board as composer?
Marks: There’s a company called Crush Music that also has a brand called Crush Films. They are new to making indies, but they’re really terrific producers. They manage different musical artists, Patrick being one of them. So when I talked with them about making this movie, they said you should meet Patrick. I was thrilled because obviously I knew his work, and he’s so easy to get along with and collaborative. He actually wrote one of the band’s songs, The first one was Courtney Love, but the second one was Patrick Stump. He also helped teach them and coached them. He was just a delight. I can’t believe I got so lucky.
MF: Did you have kind of a specific vibe you were going for with the music?
Marks: Yeah, the inspiration was definitely Kathleen Hanna / riot grrrl life. I love you the earlier Courtney Love sound, like that song “Miss Narcissist” was a big inspiration. It fit a lot of the themes that were being discussed in the movie. So I kinda knew that would be the first song if we could get it. And thankfully, she was a Crush Music artist, so that worked out. Then I asked Patrick to go for some Bikini Kill vibes.
MF: I loved all the different band names. How did you come up with those names?
Marks: We had so many unused names, I wish they could all make it in. When I first met with Hayley to talk about her playing Mary, the first thing she said to me was she was also obsessed with band names. She had a list on her phone of all these band names, then I showed her my list. We were comparing notes, so that really bonded us right away.
MF: How you hope audiences sort of feel when the film ends?
Marks: I hope that they take that this is not everyone’s experience. I really do want it to feel like just the experience of this couple and these characters, and not preaching to whether monogamy is the right thing, or polyamory is the right thing or ethical non monogamy. I think it’s to each their own and I hope that that’s recognized. I hope people see it as a fun character study and something that feels real and maybe close to their own experiences. But really, I just want it to be a good time. Even though it’s silly, I want it to feel authentic to people.
MF: Could you recommend another film directed by a woman that readers should seek out?
Marks: I love Andrea Arnold and Marielle Heller and Ava DuVernay. Those are the first women that come to mind. Also, Greta Gerwig and Hannah Fidell. There’s so many terrific women making movies. I was actually really lucky when I did the Sundance lab back in 2012 that two of the filmmakers there were Chloé Zhao and Marielle Heller. It’s been very cool to watch their careers rise since then.
MF: Do you have a favorite Marielle Hiller film?
Marks: I think all of her movies have been great. ‘Diary Of A Teenage Girl’ is such a good movie, just really, really wonderful. I think she just innately understands story and understands characters. She started as an actress, which I also really appreciate. A lot of the directors I love started as actresses, because I come from an acting background. So I think she has a really great understanding of story and dialogue and character that you don’t always get. She was also terrific on ‘Queen’s Gambit,’ so I think she’s got that unique perspective of someone that can live it.
Marielle Heller (center) on the set of ‘Diary of a Teenage Girl’
‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’ – written and directed by Marielle Heller
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Marielle Heller began acting at a young age performing in the Alameda Children’s Musical Theater, as well as local community theater productions. After studying theatre at UCLA and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Heller worked at the Magic Theatre, the American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and the La Jolla Playhouse. While living in New York City, her sister gave her a copy of Phoebe Gloeckner’s 2002 graphic novel ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures’. After convincing Gloeckner to option her the rights, Heller made her directing debut with her adaptation. The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards. Her follow-up film ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ about the literary forger Lee Israel received three Oscar nominations, including for its actors Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant. Tom Hanks received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Fred Rogers in her third film, ‘A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood’.
Starring Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgård, and Bel Powley, ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’ follows 15-year-old aspiring cartoonist Minnie (Powley) as she comes of age in 1976 San Francisco. Living with her free-spirited mom (Wiig) and her younger sister, Minnie begins exploring her budding sexuality, including having an affair with her mother’s older boyfriend (Skarsgård). Notable for its frank, non-judgemental presentation of Minnie as she navigates her sexual coming of age, Heller’s film came at a watershed moment for women directors and films about teenage girls.
As women make strides in the industry, the normalization of parenthood – and particularly motherhood – as a positive part of the process, rather than a derailment continues. In that spirit, here are ten women who found creative inspiration from their pregnancies, and how they channeled it into their work.
Amy Heckerling – National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985) and Look Who’s Talking (1989)
Director Amy Heckerling on the set of ‘Look Who’s Talking’
Coming off of her hit film ‘Fast Times At Ridgemont High,’, Heckerling became one of the first female filmmakers to work regularly in the studio system. Her third film was the second film in the Vacation series: ‘National Lampoon’s European Vacation’. Heckerling was pregnant during the post-production phase of the film. Her experiences with balancing motherhood and working on Hollywood inspired her next film ‘Look Who’s Talking’. A surprise hit, the film starring John Travolta and Kirstie Alley became the 4th highest grossing film of 1989. Featuring Bruce Willis as the voice of baby Mikey, ‘Look Who’s Talking’ was a frank look at modern motherhood, spawning multiple sequels.
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Kasi Lemmons – Eve’s Bayou (1997) and The Caveman’s Valentine (2001)
Director Kasi Lemmons on the set of ‘The Caveman’s Valentine’ just after the birth of her second child.
While in pre-production for her debut ‘Eve’s Bayou’, Kasi Lemmons says she had lucid dreams due to her pregnancy. One dream where she was flying and drowning at the same time became a monologue in the film, which was named the best film of 1997 by film critic Roger Ebert. Although she found inspiration in her pregnancy, there was also hardship. She recalls working a 13-hour day on set caused her milk to dry up. She then had her second child during the pre-production of her second film, 2001’s ‘The Caveman’s Valentine’. Lemmons made three more films, including the Oscar-nominated ‘Harriet’.
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Kris Swanberg – Unexpected (2015)
Cobie Smulders and Gail Bean in ‘Unexpected,’ based on director Kris Swanberg’s own pregnancy.
‘Unexpected’ (2015) star Cobie Smulders was actually pregnant during the production of the film, in which she plays a pregnant teacher who connects with her student also dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. The film was based on Swanberg’s experience during her first pregnancy, when at six months pregnant a student shared she was also expecting. Swanberg was expecting her second child a few weeks after the film debuted in summer of 2015.
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Marielle Heller – The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
Bel Powley and Alexander Skarsgård in ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl.’ Director Marielle Heller became pregnant as the film wrapped production.
Heller told Vogue that before having her first child she spoke with several other women in the industry who said having a child during the post-production process was an easier feat. Although these things can’t really be planned, Heller indeed became pregnant as the filming on ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’ wrapped. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the best first feature award at the Independent Spirit Awards. Heller has since directed two more features and a documentary.
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Reed Morano – Meadowland (2015)
Olivia Wilde in ‘Meadowland.’ Director/cinematographer Reed Morano was pregnant during production.
Reed Morano broke out after shooting the Oscar-nominated film ‘Frozen River’ in 2008. After taking calls with agents while pregnant with her first child and not hearing back, Morano was determined not to let this descrimination get to her. Then a photograph of her eight-months pregnant wearing a 50-pound camera on the set of the Sundance darling ‘Little Birds’ in 2011 sent shockwaves through the industry. Female cinematographers are rare, and the photograph showed that pregnancy was no barrier to work. Her eldest son Casey had a small role in her directorial debut ‘Meadowland,’ and she has since directed two more features and dozens of episodes of television including the pilot for Hulu’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.
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Deniz Gamze Ergüven – Mustang (2015)
A scene from ‘Mustang.’ Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven was pregnant during production.
Deniz Gamze Ergüven discovered she was pregnant just a week before securing financing for her debut film ‘Mustang’. Then her producer dropped out three weeks before production was set to start in her native Turkey. She scrambled to find a new producer and line production company that would work with her despite her pregnancy. In the end, the film was made and garnered an Oscar nomination in the Best International Film category.
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Alice Lowe – Prevenge (2016)
Director and star Alice Lowe’s pregnancy directly inspired ‘Prevenge.’
Alice Lowe told Moviemaker Mag that once she became pregnant she knew she might never get to direct. Friends told her to keep her pregnancy a secret so she wouldn’t lose work as an actress. All this pressure led to the idea for ‘Prevenge,’ in which a woman is convinced her foetus is compelling her to commit murder. She was in her second trimester while directing and starring in the film, completing the post-production after giving birth. The black comedy went on to premiere at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
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Clare Scanlon – Set It Up (2017)
Director Clare Scanlon and Zoey Deutch on the set of ‘Set it Up.’
Clare Scanlon was seven months pregnant in the spring of 2015 when she directed an episode of ‘The Last Man On Earth’ – the first woman to helm an episode of the hit comedy show. A few years later she was eight months pregnant with her second child while directing her feature film debut ‘Set It Up’. That film, along with another female-directed film ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’, was cited as the beginning of Netflix’s romantic comedy renaissance.
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Greta Gerwig – Little Women (2019)
Saoirse Ronan & Greta Gerwig on the set of ‘Little Women.’
Gerwig became only the 5th woman ever nominated for best director at the Academy Awards for her debut film ‘Lady Bird’ (2017). She followed that up with an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic novel ‘Little Women’. She was six months pregnant during the shoot, but didn’t tell anyone on set. She gave birth 24 hours after delivering her rough cut to the studio. Although the film received a Best Picture nomination, Gerwig was pointedly snubbed for a second Best Director nomination.
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Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman (2020)
Carey Mulligan, Emerald Fennell, and Laverne Cox on the set of ‘Promising Young Woman.’
Making history as one of only seven women ever nominated for Best Director – and in the first year when multiple women were nominated in the category – Emerald Fennell shot her divisive film ‘Promising Young Woman’ in 23 days while she was seven months pregnant. Of the shoot she told RogerEbert.com, “women do much harder things—much harder things—than direct films when they’re seven months’ pregnant.” The film debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, but due to the pandemic was pushed from a spring release to a Christmas release. The film ultimately received five Oscar nominations – three for Fennell herself as director, producer, and Best Original Screenplay. She won in the latter category – and accepted her award visibly pregnant with her second child. You love to see it.
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In this exclusive interview with Made in Hollywood, ‘Queen’s Gambit’ star Anya Taylor-Joy joins fellow cast members Harry Melling, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Moses Ingram, and Marielle Heller to discuss getting coached in chess and finding their characters in the Netflix limited series.
Here’s the official synopsis for the series:
Based on the novel by Walter Tevis, the Netflix limited series drama ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is a coming-of-age story that explores the true cost of genius. Abandoned and entrusted to a Kentucky orphanage in the late 1950s, a young Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) discovers an astonishing talent for chess while developing an addiction to tranquilizers provided by the state as a sedative for the children. Haunted by her personal demons and fueled by a cocktail of narcotics and obsession, Beth transforms into an impressively skilled and glamorous outcast while determined to conquer the traditional boundaries established in the male-dominated world of competitive chess. The series is directed and written by two-time Academy Award nominee Scott Frank and executive produced by Frank, William Horberg and Allan Scott, who also co-created the series. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Marielle Heller, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Moses Ingram, Harry Melling and Bill Camp.
