If we are being honest, Pussy Island sounds like a Roger Moore-era James Bond film that never got made. The double entendre of the title. The inherent comedy, with a tinge of suspense, that comes with calling your movie Pussy Island. Either way, we are 100% on board with this movie, and it’s mainly because Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz are doing a whole “are they a couple” routine, and the latter is going to be making Pussy Island her directorial debut, as she just confirmed on social media.
That slate was shared on Zoe Kravitz’s Instagram page, announcing the kick off to the filming of Pussy Island. And the image behind the logo, one of a blossoming red flower, is yet another wink and nod to the genitalia referenced directly in the film’s title. But what I really love are the steady showings of support from a veritable who’s who in the filmmaking community. The Batman cinematographer Grieg Fraser drops several fire emojis. His name is not listed in the IMDB page for Pussy Island, but given his experience shooting The Batman with Matt Reeves, it would be amazing if Kravitz could coax him to join. Then again, he’s probably shooting Dune Part 2 at the moment with Denis Villeneuve.
Others chiming in with support for Zoe Kravitz as she embarks on her directorial debut include Zoey Deutch, Olivia Wilde (who has her own film, Don’t Worry Darling, heading to theaters later this year), and Shailene Woodley, who starred opposite Zoe Kravitz in the HBO series Big Little Lies for two seasons. Man, that show should have lasted longer.
So, what do we know about Pussy Island, besides its eye-catching title? We know that it will involve an actual island, one that is owned by philanthropist and tech mogul Slater King (Channing Tatum). The plot will follow a character named Frida, a cocktail waitress who has plans to access King’s inner circle. Except, of course, once she succeeds at that, things are not what she had planned.
Tatum and Kravitz, who have been spotted hanging out together for events such as Halloween (and fueling rumors of a possible romance), frequently use social media to tease each other and fans about what they think they are going to get from this movie. And in a recent interview, Kravitz began to open up about the different meanings that were hidden inside of the title, saying:
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.
In a way, that has me thinking about Jordan Peele’s Get Out, and the ways that it tackled serious social issues, wrapped inside of a lower-budget horror movie. Is that what Kravitz is going for here? It will be a while until we find out, as Pussy Island is just getting started with filming. We will bring you details as we learn them, but check out our Upcoming 2022 Movies guide to see what you can go see this weekend, and beyond!
