The Chronology Of Water: Everything We Know So Far About Kristen Stewart's Directorial Debut Starring Imogen Poots
Kristen Stewart is one of the best, most unpredictable performers of her generation. Her portrayal of Bella Swan in "The Twilight Saga" made her a worldwide movie star, and she used that cachet to make a series of artistically ambitious films from the non-mainstream likes of Olivier Assayas, Kelly Reichardt and Pablo Larrain (whose "Spencer" earned Stewart her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress). Five years ago, she branched out and made her first short film, the captivatingly impressionistic "Come Swim," which premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Her talent seems to know no bounds, so it's exciting to learn that she'll make her feature directing debut with "The Chronology of Water."
Based on Lidia Yuknavitch's 2012 memoir (a finalist for that year's PEN Center USA Creative Nonfiction Award), the project reteams Stewart with Ridley Scott's Scott Free production company, and is set to star Imogen Poots. If you're as big a fan of Stewart as we are, you're surely hyped to see what she can do behind the camera on a full-length film. With that in mind, here's everything you need to know about "The Chronology of Water" as it nears production.
When and Where to watch The Chronology of Water
With Poots attached to star, this project is far enough down the road to suggest that it will commence principal photography in early 2023. It all depends on the scope of the film and how much time Stewart will be allotted, but there's good reason to believe this movie could be finished in time for the fall film festivals in Toronto, Venice and New York City. This would place it smack dab in the middle of awards season, which is typically the endgame for a drama of this prestigious nature.
As for where to check it out, that's a good question. Scott Free has a deal with Disney through 20th Century Studios, which means it could receive distribution through the boutique Searchlight Pictures or go direct to Hulu. The former option makes sense if Stewart's film is an awards contender, while the latter would mean it's not an Oscar play (and there's no shame in that, as many of the best movies in any given year have a tendency to miss with Academy voters).
What we know about the memoir The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch
In an age rife with memoirs (born largely of 2000s blogging craze), Yuknavitch's book managed to stand out as a fearlessly candid document of a life lived without guardrails. Per an NPR review, the one-time Olympic swimming hopeful addresses the horrors of her life (namely incest and drug addiction) while writing a "recklessly inventive" tale that builds to an unlikely happy ending.
According to a press release, Stewart has been developing her adaptation over the last five years. "Lidia's memoir honors corporeal experience, radically," says the actor-filmmaker. "To make that experience physical feels vital to me and what this impulse means ... is that it absolutely must be a film." This sounds like a daringly intense film, which is right in Stewart's creative wheelhouse.
What we know about the cast and crew of The Chronology of Water
Stewart was 12 years old when she knocked us out as Jodie Foster's precocious daughter in David Fincher's "Panic Room." Her career has followed her co-star's successful trajectory from child actor to celebrated performer to filmmaker (Stewart is only a few years older than Foster was when she made her directorial debut with 1991's "Little Man Tate"). Judging from "Come Swim," Stewart favors an immersively trippy visual style that's more formalistic than classical in terms of storytelling.
There's no word on who'll join Stewart behind the camera (it'd be exciting to see her reunite with the "Come Swim" duo of cinematographer John Gulesarian and composer St. Vincent), but Poots is an intriguing choice for the film's lead. She's been terrific in a diverse selection of movies like Jeremy Saulnier's "Green Room," Terrence Malick's "Knight of Cups" and Florian Zeller's "The Father," and feels primed for a breakthrough. Perhaps Stewart can guide her from ingénue to full-on stardom.