Zoë Kravitz Explains Why ‘Blink Twice’ Was Originally Titled Pu**y Island

Zoë Kravitz has been soaring as an actress in this industry for years now. Her talent is raw and undeniable, so hopes were high that it’d translate to great success behind the lens as well. Not only does she meet those expectations with her feature directorial debut, Blink Twice, but she far exceeds them. The resolute and assured filmmaking on display in this Amazon MGM Studios release instantly makes Kravitz one of the most exciting directors on the rise in Hollywood.

Originally titled Pussy Island, Blink Twice stars Naomi Ackie as Frida, a cocktail waitress who gets the opportunity of a lifetime — to be whisked away by tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) to his private island for limitless partying with his high profile friends. It’s a dream come true. Their days at the estate are filled with the best food and drink, hours in the sun at the property’s gorgeous pool, and wild nights of zero inhibition and maximum indulgence. No one wants it to end — that is until Frida begins to wonder if this idyllic getaway is too good to be true.

With Blink Twice making its way into theaters on August 23, I got the opportunity to sit down with Kravitz to discuss her experience making the move from acting to directing. We discussed the development of the concept, lessons learned from directors she worked with as an actor that she brought to the Blink Twice set, the Matrix-like scene of the film that was especially challenging to execute, and loads more. You can hear about it all straight from Kravitz in the video at the top of this article, or you can read the interview in transcript form below.

Making a Film About “Power and Taking Back Power”

PERRI NEMIROFF: A big two-part question about writing this. What was idea #1, the thing that started it all? But then also I want to know, did you have a break story moment, something you came up with along the way that made you think, “This is whole now?”

ZOË KRAVITZ: Oh, interesting. It was less of an idea and more of a feeling to start with. I don’t know if you know the original title of the film, which is Pussy Island, but wanting to explore power and taking back power — specifically that word and what we’ve come to feel when we hear that word — and wanting to really explore how absurd it is that women are asked to forget and pretend and smile through pain and speak with our eyes because we can’t say it out loud and really wanting to highlight how insane that is and tiring and fucked up.

And then I think the thing that kind of cracked it open was the element of memory and taking those emotions and making it an actual metaphor. I was really inspired by the Garden of Eden — that was the idea for the island — and the idea of the serpent and how we’ve made it such a negative thing, that women wanting knowledge is the devil or something. So, kind of taking all of those thoughts that I’ve always had and putting them into some crazy story.

Zoë Kravitz: From Acting to Directing

I wanted to bring up something that you mention in your director’s statement. A good chunk of it was about how you grew up in rooms that had very powerful people in them, and eventually, you came to realize that sometimes those spaces aren’t safe spaces to speak up in. This is a question I try to ask as often as possible because it feels important; do you remember the very first time on a film set where you felt the power of your own voice? Where you said something, it was heard, and something about that movie changed for the better?

KRAVITZ: Oh, wow, that’s a really good question. That’s a good question because, for a long time, I didn’t say, “I’m uncomfortable with this.” I don’t know the answer to that. I think I’ve learned how to stand up for myself the more that I’ve been in this industry, but I’ve also definitely, if I’m being honest, have been someone who’s been quiet and tiptoed around uncomfortable things. And then, maybe as I got older, I’ve learned how to almost stop things before they even happen because, you know, we’re women, and we can tell what’s going on before it goes down.

This is your feature directorial debut, and you’re obviously a very experienced actor. Can you tell me something a director did for you as an actor in the past that you appreciated, held tight to and brought to this set, but then also, what is something that you wish more directors had done for you that now you strive to bring to your actors?

KRAVITZ: Oh, that’s a great question. Honestly, I learned a lot from many different directors. I had just worked with Steven Soderbergh right beforehand, and obviously, he’s the master that he is. He edits in his mind, and so he is so efficient in his shooting, and I think that was something I really learned from in terms of, “Okay, don’t just shoot the normal, ‘Okay, we’re gonna go wide, and then we’re gonna close.’ Actually think about what it is that you want to express, and then you can also make your shots more interesting.” And then also working with Matt Reeves, and George Miller too, people who are so, so, so detail-oriented. I think oftentimes, and especially as women, we’re made to feel like we’re being difficult by thinking, “No, that’s not right. It needs to be just like this and not like this,” but really seeing some of those incredible directors fight for that, and understanding that that’s what makes them great.

It’s funny, I’ve realized how sheltered actors are from the reality of filmmaking and how intense it is, and I think that might be good so they can focus on what they need to do. So, I don’t know. I feel like every director has her own style, and I also think it’s the actor’s job to ask for what they need, as well, and hopefully there’s an environment where they feel safe to do that.

Zoë Kravitz Picks Her Favorite Frame of ‘Blink Twice’ – It’s Bloody and Beautiful

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You brought up the visuals in that answer so I’ll go there next. I’m essentially going to ask you to choose your favorite child right now. What is your single favorite frame of your movie? Because, I’ll emphasize, this movie is absolutely stunning from top to bottom.

KRAVITZ: Thank you. My DP, Adam Newport-Berra, is a G! But my favorite frame of the movie? That’s hard! That is really, really hard. Maybe the shot from the back with the bows covered in blood with the knife. I mean, that, to me, is like the whole story in one shot. And I also really love the shot of Frida looking at Slater with the champagne glass and the raspberry in front of her face, but I could keep going.

Oh, I could imagine. I could keep going! This isn’t a single frame, but one of my favorite shots is the first dance oner. I love a good oner. What went into orchestrating that?

KRAVITZ: Oh my god, me and Adam were like two crazy people in a room. There’s this piece of paper where we had written arrows and the names of the characters, and like, “They go here, and then we’re gonna go here.” We had orchestrated this whole thing. And it was so funny because we were like, “We figured it out!” And then we get to set and we’re like, “And now we have to explain it to everybody.” It was so in our head, and it’s hard to just be like, “Do that.” You know what I mean? I realized it was like showing somebody The Matrix, like a whole bunch of zeroes. So, it was ambitious, but one of my favorite sequences in the film.

Blink Twice

When tech billionaire Slater King meets cocktail waitress Frida at his fundraising gala, he invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. As strange things start to happen, Frida questions her reality.

Release Date

August 23, 2024

Runtime

102 Minutes

Blink Twice hits theaters on August 23. Click below for showtimes.

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