Zoë Kravitz is grateful her directorial debut brought Channing Tatum into her life. The 33-year-old artist co-wrote her upcoming film “Pussy Island” which stars her now-boyfriend Tatum and Naomi Ackie. In an interview with WSJ Magazine, she revealed why he was her “first choice.”
According to Kravitz, the script “was born out of a lot of anger and frustration around the lack of conversation about the treatment of women, specifically in industries that have a lot of money in them, like Hollywood, the tech world, all of that.” After hearing stories about powerful men inviting women to remote islands for free-for-alls, she made the story her reality.
She wanted a man who was feminist, who “hadn’t played a dark character before.“ “I felt, even from afar, before I knew him, that he was a feminist and that he wasn’t afraid of exploring that darkness, because he knows he’s not that,” she told the outlet. “That’s why I was drawn to him and wanted to meet with him. And I was right.”
Once they met and began working on the film, they developed a relationship, going public in October. “When you make things with people it’s a very sacred space, and when you’re compatible with somebody creatively it often opens up other channels, because you’re kind of sharing all of yourself,” Kravitz explained. “I’m really grateful that this movie has brought him into my life that way.”
Tatum also opened up about his experience with the outlet.“I didn’t know Zoë before I met her for the film,” he said “When we first met the movie was pretty different than its form now, but the themes were the same. All the iterations it has gone through were all pretty punk rock, to be honest,” the 42-year-old continued.
As for what you can expect? According to the synopsis on Deadline, it follows the clever Los Angeles cocktail waitress Frida (Ackie) as she works her way through the inner circle of a philanthropic and tech mogul (Tatum). After landing an invite to a gathering on his private island, full of beautiful people, champagne, and dancing, she can’t shake the feeling there’s something off about the island and its alluring host.
Pussy Island is expected to be released in 2023.