That changes Friday, as Searchlight launches in limited theaters before a wide berth December 22.
It is the mad vision of a confident, mature filmmaker, fully realized with brave performances.
DEADLINE:How did this fever dream of a movie happen?
From left: Andrew Lowe and Ed GuineyCourtesy Element Pictures
Hed already met Alasdair Gray [who authored the novel scripted by Tony McNamara].
DEADLINE:It is a tough one to logline.
How does he pitch it to you?
Emma Stone in ‘Poor Things’Searchlight Pictures
LOWE: He doesnt, not really.
Take a look at this.
I want to do it.
And to be honest, at that point, wed doneThe Lobsterand we were buildingThe Favouritetogether.
So we were all in.
Thats the way we work with filmmakers and in particular Yorgos and Lenny Abrahamson, our longest-standing filmmaker relationships.
If those guys want to do something, you get behind it.
It just became one foot in front of the other.
Youre like, okay, were in business with this guy.
This book is amazing.
Lets figure it out.
GUINEY: We optioned it in 2016, and then Yorgos process is very organic.
By way of example, the first project we actually set out to do with him wasThe Favourite.
It had a different title at the time, and it took a couple of years to develop.
So he pitched his idea forThe Lobster, and we commissioned that.
And then the pandemic intervened.
DEADLINE:There is world creation here worthy of Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton.
How much of that was accomplished in the solace of the pandemic?
GUINEY: You have one kind of dark column and then a painted backdrop.
And it just grew from there.
And then we added James Price, who we had worked with on Sean Durkins filmThe Nest.
They spent six to nine months honing the concept during the pandemic.
What were the challenges in gettingPoor Thingsfinanced?
We got a number we had to work with, and it probably cost a bit more than that.
Budapest came out as the best option.
DEADLINE:Emma Stones performance inPoor Thingsis exceptionally brave.
I cannot remember the last time a star of her stature bared herself onscreen as she does.
GUINEY: There were very direct conversations between herself and Yorgos.
DEADLINE:Were you surprised at how far she was willing to go?
LOWE:Emma is an all-in person.
Great actor, as we all know, but part of that is her bravery, her courageousness.
Yorgos always takes big swings in his work.
In almost everything he does, he surprises you about how he approaches things.
And we just have a go at make it as comfortable as possible.
We hired intimacy coordinators, there are other actors who, besides Emma, also are in sex scenes.
This was more of a challenge for Yorgos.
We managed to do that again on these gargantuan sets for things.
GUINEY: And before the pandemic ended.
Did you have Covid problems?
GUINEY: We did, because we had a massive construction crew.
As we were shooting at one set, then you had people on new sets.
In fact, one guy died of Covid, didnt he?
LOWE: On the construction crew.
There was a very strict testing regimen in place.
When we first started in pre-production, Hungary was under lockdown, and made you quarantine.
DEADLINE:Long road to premiering at Venice, and winning the Golden Lion.
But I agree with you.
You then go, what will audiences make of this?
Its a big swing, an expensive film.
So we did have anxiety going into it.
The good thing I found was they were incredibly warm and supportive about the film.
It landed, from the first press screening.
How does Lanthimos keep his participants from getting lost?
I dunno where to go, basically.
Yorgos said, just keep writing, get to the end.
Itll all be fine.
This was just giving people confidence to be courageous and take big swings and to be bold.
That Charlie Chaplin meets Peter Sellers, I dont know what the hell that was.
DEADLINE:What went into him finding that character?
The main ones are there most of the time.
Theyre kind of theater games.
Theyre games that Yorgos makes up.
LOWE: Being an animal saying the lines rolling across the ground.
How am I supposed to be?
These are not conversations he wants to have.
DEADLINE: Sounds like the opposite of method acting…
GUINEY: It is.
So when Ruffalo walks in with those ideas, thats what he did and it was great.
GUINEY: He does do monstrous things, but youre quite right.
There is such pathos in Willems performance, vulnerability because of what his story of abuse is.
Thats what I imagine.
Hes a real artist.
LOWE: I dont think we looked at it that way.
Youre finishing your film, dealing with all the problems.
Weve never finished one and thought, oh, this is going to be a hit.
This is going to be great.
Youre just like, okay, weve done it.
Lets see what the world thinks.
DEADLINE:Audiences have been through so much.
The pandemic, polarized politics, Donald Trump and repressionism.
Derivative superhero movies seem to be past their sell-by date.
GUINEY: I think youre right.
You had Fellini making big-budget films back in the day alongside Coppola and Scorsese.
I think television has slightly flattened out a bit now.
Economics aside, I think its less fresh.
And because I think audiences were staying at home to watch TV, they werent going to the cinema.
LOWE: Its true.
And I think filmmakers feel it.
Weve maybe peaked in Marvel andStar Wars.
Theyre not my movies, but I understand that lots of people love those films.
The Barbenheimer thing was interesting.Barbieis IP, but a completely new piece of IP, andOppenheimerisOppenheimer.
Its beholden on us as an industry to give people a reason to come back.
We have to bring them back.
LOWE: We also have a dual perspective.
Weve got two cinemas in Ireland, one in Dublin, one in Galway.
The Barbenheimer weekend was our best since we opened.
By 50%, and that goes to Eds point.
The audience is there, you just have to give them what they want.
