Emma Stone Goes Full Frankenstein

The official teaser for Poor Things has been released, and it looks like a quirky Frankenstein for the 21st century. The film is based on a book from 1992, authored by Alisdair Gray. The London Review Of Books called it a “magnificently brisk, funny, dirty, brainy book”. If that’s any indication of the film’s vibe, it’s safe to say it makes sense that it’s produced by Searchlight rather than 20th Century Studios itself.

The book follows a woman by the name of Emma Baxter, who has been reanimated by Doctor Godwin Baxter. Bella exists for a time under the protection and tutelage of Godwin until she realizes that there’s more to the world than what she’s being told. At that point, she runs off with Duncan Wedderburn. Wedderburn is a suave but somewhat corrupt lawyer. She travels the world, free to create her own perception of the world around her.

Watch the first teaser for Poor Things below:

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The film contains heavy themes of women’s liberation, as does the novel. Bella Baxter’s past life is essentially hidden from her, as everything she knows about herself and the world is concocted by her husband. After breaking free from that worldview, she’s able to learn what it means to become a human being, rather than just a woman living in a man’s world.

The film stars Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo, in addition to Willem Dafoe and Ramy Youssef. It’s also directed by the award-winning Yorgos Lanthimos, who had previously directed films like The Lobster and The Favourite (which also starred Stone, in an Osar-nominated performance.) The screenplay was penned by Tony McNamara, who also collaborated on the script for The Favourite.