PROVOCATIVE ZOE KRAVITZ

BY: Amanda Jane Stern

What comes to mind when you hear the words Pussy Island? You’re probably blushing now at the images those two little words evoke. Either that, or you have a very clean mind and you’re dreaming of an island of actual cats, in which case, good for you, why are you reading this site? For the rest of you dirty dogs, let’s get back to what you’re thinking, you’re definitely on the right track. Zoë Kravitz, will be making her directorial debut with a feature film entitled, you guessed it, Pussy Island. In addition to directing the genre thriller, Kravitz also co-wrote the script with E.T. Feigenbaum.

The movie will follow Frida, a clever cocktail waitress working in Los Angeles who manages to finagle her way into the inner circle of tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum). Once in his good graces, she snags herself an invite to an intimate event on his private island, yep, the titular Pussy Island. However, despite the bountiful booze and beautiful people, all is not as it seems on the island, and Frida must figure out what is going on before it’s too late.

Kravitz has spoken about where the film’s title came from, telling Deadline “The title means a lot of things. I started writing this story in 2017. As a woman in general, and a woman in this industry, I’ve experienced some pretty wild behavior from the opposite sex. The title was kind of a joke at first, this place where people would go, bring women, party and hang out. The story evolved into something else, but the title wound up having multiple meanings. And it alludes to this time and place we claim to not be in anymore, in terms of sexual politics. People are evolving and changing but there is still a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths from past behavior. It’s a nod to that, but it’s also playful, and a really playful film in a lot of ways. I like that the title leads with that and has some heavy meaning beneath it.”

Tatum was Kravitz’s first choice to play the role of Slater King, and she wrote the part with him in mind. On the subject, she said “Chan was my first choice, the one I thought of when I wrote this character. I just knew from Magic Mike and his live shows, I got the sense he’s a true feminist and I wanted to collaborate with someone who was clearly interested in exploring this subject matter.” As for the role of Frida, Kravitz has said that she wanted to create a role that would be a dream for her to play, but that she will give to another actress so she can focus all her energy on directing the project.

Pussy Island starts filming early next year on an, as yet, undisclosed tropical island.