Rest in peace, Pussy Island. We’ll always remember how it felt when Deadline reported back in 2021 that Zoë Kravitz had sentenced Channing Tatum — who is reportedly now her fiancé — to Pussy Island, casting him in this incredibly named genre thriller that also serves as her directorial debut. But the movie, co-written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, has now been renamed to a more family-friendly option: Blink Twice. (Incidentally, that’s what we did when we heard that the title was changing.) Tatum will star as tech mogul Slater King, who meets “young, clever, Los Angeles cocktail waitress†Frida (Naomi Ackie) at a fundraising gala. He later brings her and her friends to a private island where the party vibes turn sinister. “Something,†says the plot description, “is a bit terrifying.†No kidding. The movie used to be called Pussy Island. That’s Little Saint James vibes. Here’s everything we know so far.
Why did the title change?
It’s hard to say. Regarding the original title, Kravitz previously told Deadline:
“I started writing this story in 2017. As a woman in general, and a woman in this industry, I’ve experienced some pretty wild behavior from the opposite sex. The title was kind of a joke at first, this place where people would go, bring women, party, and hang out. The story evolved into something else, but the title wound up having multiple meanings. And it alludes to this time and place we claim to not be in anymore, in terms of sexual politics. People are evolving and changing, but there is still a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths from past behavior. It’s a nod to that, but it’s also playful, and a really playful film in a lot of ways. I like that the title leads with that and has some heavy meaning beneath it.â€
Representatives for Kravitz and Amazon MGM Studios did not immediately respond to Vulture’s request for comment on the title change.
Who else is in the cast?
In addition to Tatum and AckieAccording to Deadline, Simon Rex, Christian Slater, Geena Davis, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan, and Alia Shawkat are also set to star.
When is it coming out?
Blink Twice is scheduled to release in theaters on August 23.
And will Channing Tatum wear Crocs?
Very unlikely. Tatum recounted to Deadline in 2021 that in his first meeting with Kravitz for the project, she told him to stop wearing that particular brand of foam clogs. Already making bold directorial choices, we see.