Zoë Kravitz
Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Saint LaurentZoë Kravitz has revealed why the original title of her directorial debut had to be revised.
Kravitz, 35, worked for years on Blink twice under the original title P—y-islandbut she changed the title of the upcoming film after realizing that “women were offended” by the word “p—y.”
“It was made very clear to me that ‘p—y’ is a word that we, our society, are not ready to embrace,” she said. Entertainment weekly in an interview published Tuesday, July 9. “There were a lot of obstacles along the way, whether it was the MPAA not wanting to put it on a poster, a billboard, a kiosk; theaters not wanting to put it on a ticket.”
While Kravitz, who is engaged to Channing Tatumone of the film’s stars, was initially hesitant to change the film’s title, but later realized that her intended audience would not ultimately approve.
Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz took their working relationship to the next level when they started dating. Us Weekly confirmed in August 2021 that the pair had begun dating shortly after Kravitz’s divorce from Karl Glusman was finalized, after meeting on the set of her directorial debut, Blink Twice (originally titled Pussy Island).[He was […]
“Interestingly, after research, women were offended by the word, and women who saw the title said, ‘I don’t want to see that movie,’ which is part of the reason I wanted to try to use the word, is to reclaim the word, and not make it something that we’re so uncomfortable using,” Kravitz said. “But we’re not there yet.”
The Big little lies star added that she felt a “responsibility” to put her personal values aside as she transitioned from in front of the camera to behind it. “I think it’s important that people see the film, and I think it’s important how people feel,” Kravitz said.
Blink twicewhich hits theaters on August 23, was written by Kravitz in 2017 and ET Feigenbaum, and stars Naomi Ackie as Frida, a cocktail waitress who is invited to a seemingly endless island party by a billionaire tech mogul, played by Tatum, 43.
Frida soon learns that not everything is as it seems after her best friend Jess, played by Alia Shawkatdisappears from the island and no one can remember ever meeting her.
Kravitz also told the newspaper that she’s happy with the film’s new title, but still stands by the strength of the working title.
“P—y-island was the first thing I wrote down when I was writing this film, and it’s the seed of the film, and the spirit of what that means to me is still very much alive and present in the film,” she said. “And I love the new title. I think everything happens for a reason, and I think it really focuses the film in a great way. And I think it was always meant to be that way.”
A trailer for the film, which also stars Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Gina Davis, Adria Arjona, Christian Slater And Simon Rexreleased on April 23.