Emma Stonefelt empowered making her new filmPoor Things.
In a newextended-look trailerfor the upcomingYorgos Lanthimos-directed film, the Oscar winner plays Bella Baxter, a woman given a clean slate via an experimental procedure from a mad scientist of sorts, Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Reborn, Bella gradually discovers the wonders — and dangers — of the world. Her personal sexual awakening is among those discoveries.
“I wanted to play Bella because it felt like acceptance of what it is to be a woman, to be free, to be scared and brave,” Stone, 34, says in the preview, callingPoor Things"a very, very funny film."
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Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo inPoor Things(2023).20th Century Studios
20th Century Studios
Lanthimos, 50, explained during a press conference at the New York Film Festival last month why the sex scenes inPoor Thingswere key to the journey of Stone’s character Bella.
“It was a very important part of her journey. We felt that we shouldn’t shy away from it,” he said. “It would feel very disingenuous to tell this story aboutthis character who is so freeand so open, and then be prude about the sexual aspect of it.”
“It was clear from the beginning, but also from the novel, from the script, from my discussions with Emma, as well, and how we came up with those scenes,” the filmmaker continued of devising the scenes of sexuality. “She had to be free; there should be no judgment.”
Lanthimos explained, “The same way she learns about language and human suffering and love and science and politics, the same way she should be equally free about sex and anything else.”
Emma Stone inPoor Things(2023).Searchlight Pictures/YouTube
Searchlight Pictures/YouTube
Stone, Lanthimos and Dafoe, 68, previously opened up about the process of makingPoor Thingsin aNew York Timesprofile of Dafoe published this past March.
According the outlet, there’s a scene in the film where Stone slaps Dafoe in the face off-camera — but Dafoe had his costarslap him in real life around 20 timesto help make the action look more believable.
“There’s this instinct to perform that many actors have — the ‘Look at me, look at me!’ kind of performer,” she said. “He’s the opposite of that.”
Poor Thingsis in theaters Dec. 8.
source: people.com
