Yahoo News Emma Stone’s ‘Poor Things’ Release Pushed to December
Searchlight Pictures has delayed the theatrical release for Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things to theoretically allow Hollywood stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe to promote the commercial rollout, even as the Greek director’s monster tale has been confirmed to premiere in Venice.
The announcement, coinciding with news of the Venice bow, has Searchlight pushing the commercial release of Poor Things to Dec. 8, from Sept. 8.
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The additional time will hopefully allow Searchlight to use its A-list cast to promote a theatrical release once the Hollywood actors strike is resolved. The major studios continue to navigate historic SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes in Hollywood, where the U.S. actors union has banned its members from promoting upcoming films and TV series tied to major studios or streamers.
That will leave Lanthimos likely bringing his latest film to the Lido with far less star wattage on the red carpet.
Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, a tennis drama starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, was to have opened Venice in an out-of-competition slot, but was pulled after MGM announced it was pushing the release of the film to April 26, 2024, to similarly theoretically allow the A-list cast to promote the theatrical release from red carpets and elsewhere after the U.S. actors resolve their labor action.
Poor Things was to have been released in theaters in September, until SAG-AFTRA members joined WGA members on picket lines. The Searchlight Pictures film has Stone returning to life and ultimately finding freedom and purpose as a Frankenstein-like monster.
Stone plays Bella Baxter, a creation of the brilliant and unorthodox scientist played by Dafoe in an echo of Mary Shelley’s classic horror novel Frankenstein. Ruffalo plays a slick and debauched lawyer in the movie, which also stars Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott.
The Favourite writer Tony McNamara penned the screenplay, based on the novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray. Lanthimos’ other credits include The Killing of a Sacred Deer and Dogtooth.
Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe’s Element Pictures and Film4, the production team behind The Favourite, produce Poor Things along with Stone, via her Fruit Tree banner, and Lanthimos.
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