Earlier this year, when Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the director noted that the movie wouldn’t exist without the “incredible creature” that is star Emma Stone, adding that “this film is her, in front and behind the camera.” It’s fitting, then, that Stone herself sets up the film’s latest trailer (in appearances that are clearly labeled as “previously recorded” because she’s supposed to be on strike with the rest of SAG-AFTRA), which may also be a way to make the film seem a little more… comprehensible to easily frightened audiences.
Because, with all due respect to Lanthimos, Poor Things looks pretty weird (in a good way!) and some viewers might not know what kind of vibe to expect without Emma Stone explaining to them that it is a “very, very funny film.” Then again, everything that Mark Ruffalo does in this trailer should make it pretty obvious that this is supposed to be funny, so maybe Stone should’ve just said “look at the funny faces and noises that Mark Ruffalo is making” and everyone would be immediately on board.
Poor Things is sort of a twist on Frankenstein, with Stone playing a woman who is brought to life by a scientist played by Willem Dafoe going on a worldwide journey to experience everything there is to experience. In addition to those aforementioned people, it features Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and Margaret Qualley (who gets hit in the face with a ball or something in another great trailer moment, because this is a funny trailer even thought Emma Stone telling us so). It’ll be in theaters on December 8. Now, can we talk about how this “extended look” trailer is shorter than the previous trailer? Is that another brilliant joke? Because we love it, if it is.