A new movie from Kristen Stewart is in the works, titledThe Chronology of Waterand starring Imogen Poots in the lead role. The upcoming drama, based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir of the same name, marks Stewart’s feature directorial debut and,according to the actress, is a passion project that’s been cooking for five years.
Stewart has been making some big waves in the movie industry of late. Her performance as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’sSpencerearned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, and her performance in David Cronenberg’s newCrimes of the Futuresimilarly received critical acclaim. With that track record,The Chronology of Waterhas generated a lot of buzz. From plot to cast and crew, here’s everything we know about the movie so far.
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The Plot
The Chronology of Waterfollows Lidia Yuknavitch’s extraordinaryjourney of self-discoveryand survival. Born to an abusive father and alcoholic mother, Yuknavitch didn’t have it easy growing up. Her one escape was swimming, and she had dreams of qualifying for the Olympics someday. She was one step closer to achieving this goal when drug and alcohol abuse caused her to lose her swimming scholarship and put an abrupt end to her burgeoning career.
Yuknavitch went on a downward spiral, using sex with men and women as a way to numb her pain. Eventually, though, she would find healthier ways of coping and new passions in life; namely writing, teaching, and parenting. Yuknavitch is a great writer and rightfully earned a cult following forThe Chronology of Water, as well as a Reader’s Choice Award at the 2012 Oregon Book Awards. Other titles she has written includeDora: A Headcase, afeminist retellingof Freud’s famous case study;The Small Backs of Children, about a group of people obsessed with a heart-stopping photograph; andThe Misfit’s Manifesto, a follow-up book to her popular TED talk, “The Beauty of Being a Misfit,” which has over 4.2 million views online.
The Cast
Imogen Poots will play Lidia Yuknavitch, and is the only actor attached to the project so far. Back in 2018, before work had begun on the movie, Stewart toldIndieWire:
“I’m going to write the best f**king female role. I’m going to write a role that I want so badly but that I’m not going to play.”
In a more recent interview, but before she cast Poots, Stewart shared withVariety
“I guess depending on who plays Lydia (sic), I could maybe play her older sister but probably not. I keep trying to figure out a way to get in there but I don’t think so.”
Imogen Pootsis a British actress who came to prominence playing Tammy in the 2007 zombie horror movie28 Weeks Later, directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. For this role, she was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance. Later, in 2013, she would win a BIFA Award for her supporting role inThe Look of Love, directed by Michael Winterbottom. Poots has starred in indie movies such asA Country Called HomeandMobile Homes.She has also appeared in bigger movies and TV shows like the Academy Award-winningThe Father, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman, and Amazon Prime’s neo-Western sci-fi seriesOuter Range, starring Josh Brolin and Lili Taylor.
The Crew
Kristen Stewart had her breakthrough playing Jodie Foster’s daughter in theDavid Fincher thrillerPanic Room. Her role as Bella Swan in theTwilightsaga made her a household name and gained her a cult following, even if some ridiculed her for it.Clouds of Sils Mariamarked a turning point in Stewart’s career, as she transitioned from movie star to serious actress. In this movie, directed by Olivier Assayas, Stewart plays a personal assistant to Juliette Binoche’s celebrated actress. The role drew critical acclaim and led Stewart to become the first American actress to win the prestigious French César Award — now topped by her Academy Award nomination forSpencer.
Like Poots, Stewart has dabbled in both indie and mainstream movies. Examples of the former includePersonal ShopperandCertain Women, and examples of the latter include theCharlie’s Angelsreboot and gay holiday romanceHappiest Season. Kristen Stewart came out as bisexual back in 2017 and is considered a modern queer icon — many will remember her SNL speech in which she addressed Donald Trump and announced she’s “so gay, dude.” Stewart hasmixed feelings about straight actors playing queer characters, saying, “I would never want to tell a story that really should be told by somebody who’s lived that experience.” And while Poots appears to be straight (she’s engaged to fellow actor James Norton), there is perhaps nobody better than Stewart to adapt Yuknavitch’s story, which sees the author come to terms with her bisexuality, among other things.
Stewart will co-write the screenplay forThe Chronology of Waterwith Yuknavitch’s husband, Andy Mingo. For the movie, she will also be reuniting withRidley Scott’s production company, Scott Free. Stewart previously collaborated with Scott Free for her short film directorial debutCome Swim, described as “a diptych of one man’s day; half impressionist and half realist portraits.” She also worked with them as an actress in Jake Scott’s family dramaWelcome to the Rileysand Drake Doremus' A24 sci-fiEquals.
Upcoming Related Projects
The Chronology of Waterhas no release date yet, but there are plenty of other related projects to look forward to. Fans of Kristen Stewart and A24 will be pleased to know that the actress is starring in a new movie from the studio andSaint Mauddirector Ross Glass, titledLove Lies Bleeding. Set in the competitive world of bodybuilding,Love Lies Bleedingis described as a “romance fueled by ego, desire, and the American dream,” in which Stewart will play the protective lover of a female bodybuilder.Forbesmay have also let it slip earlier this year that Stewart and Olivier Assayas are teaming up for a third feature film after working together onClouds of Sils Maria,Personal Shopper, and the miniseriesIrma Vep.
Scott Free also has some exciting projects lined up, includingBoston Stranglerby Matt Ruskin, a crime drama based on the true story of the serial killer who murdered 13 women in the Boston, Massachusetts area during the 1960s;Napoleonby Ridley Scott, a historical drama starringJoaquin Phoenixas the Emperor of the French;Big Thunder Mountain Railroadby Bert and Bertie, a live-action adaptation of the classic Disney attraction of the same name; andGravity Rushby Anna Mastro, a live-action adaptation of the adventure video game of the same name.
