New York Film Festival: Yorgos Lanthimos (‘Poor Things’) on the ‘incredible, unique’ character of Bella Baxter [WATCH]

Daniel Montgomery
·2 min read
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“I did read the book around 2009 I think, and I immediately fell in love with it. I hadn’t read anything like it. It was mainly the character of Bella Baxter that I was drawn to. I just thought she was this incredible, unique human being,” said filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos about what made him want to adapt Alasdair Gray‘s novel “Poor Things” into a feature film. He discussed his latest film during a press conference at the 61st New York Film Festival, where he was joined by Holly Waddington (costume designer), Jerskin Fendrix (composer), James Price and Shona Heath (production designers) and Robbie Ryan (cinematographer). Watch the entire NYFF Q&A above.

SEEOscar predictions update: ‘Poor Things’ still rising in all major categories including Best Picture, Best Director …

“Poor Things” has been a sensation on the festival circuit, earning raves out of Venice, Telluride and Toronto. The film also won the grand prize Golden Lion in Venice. Set during an alternate version of the 19th century, it tells the story of the aforementioned Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), who is brought back to life by a mad scientist (Willem Dafoe) and embarks on a journey of self-discovery around the world.

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Lanthimos had a chance to meet the author of the novel. Having seen his film “Dogtooth,” Gray gave the director his blessing. But actually getting “Poor Things” made was another story. “I hadn’t made an English language film, certainly not of that scale,” Lanthimos explained, “so when I said, ‘Oh I want to do this,’ people were like, ‘No no no.’ I think there was also the fact that this kind of story at the time, people weren’t so interested in it.” He went on to make other films including “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” and then “after I made ‘The Favourite,'” which was an Oscar sensation with 10 nominations including Best Picture, “I felt that it was the right time to try it again, and it worked.”

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