From the surreal, dark comedy The Lobster and the unnerving thriller The Killing of the Sacred Deer, to the unsettling drama Dogtooth, filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos has become notorious for his vivid and wild imagination.

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But it looks like his latest project, Poor Things – a genre-bending, Frankenstein-like, coming-of-age film – might be his most bonkers and garish yet.

Based on the novel by Alasdair Gray, Poor Things stars Emma Stone as a Bella Baxter, who embarks on a sexual and political awakening after she is resurrected from the dead after a scientist (Willem Dafoe) replaces her brain with that of her unborn child.

But when is Poor Things coming out in UK cinemas? Read on for everything you need to know about the upcoming film.

Poor Things release date

Emma Stone in Poor Things trailer
Emma Stone in Poor Things. SearchlightPictures/ YouTube

Poor Things is scheduled to be released in the UK on Friday 12th January 2024.

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The film landed in the US on 8th December 2023, and first premiered at the 80th Venice Film Festival last September.

Poor Things cast

Like many of Lanthimos’s films, Poor Things has a small but talented cast, with Emma Stone (Cruella, La La Land) leading the way as Bella Baxter, a woman who embarks upon a search for freedom and autonomy.

Lanthimos previously directed Stone as Abigail Masham in The Favourite, a role which earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 91st Academy Awards.

Meanwhile, Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man; The Lighthouse) plays the unorthodox scientist who resurrects Bella from the dead, and Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers; Spotlight) plays Duncan Wedderburn, Bella's companion during her travels.

The cast is rounded out by Jerrod Carmichael as Harry Astley, Ramy Youssef as Max McCandles, Christopher Abbott as Sir Aubrey de la Pole Blessington, Margaret Qualley, Kathryn Hunter, Suzy Bemba and Wayne Brett.

The full cast list is as follows:

  • Emma Stone as Bella Baxter
  • Mark Ruffalo as Duncan Wedderburn
  • Willem Dafoe as Dr Godwin Baxter
  • Ramy Youssef as Max McCandles
  • Jerrod Carmichael as Harry Astley
  • Christopher Abbott as Alfie Blessington
  • Margaret Qualley as Felicity
  • Kathryn Hunter as Madame Swiney
  • Suzy Bemba as Toinette
  • Hanna Schygulla as Martha Von Kurtzroc

Is there a trailer for Yorgos Lanthimos's Poor Things?

Yes, Searchlight has released the first trailer for Poor Things, giving viewers a first look at Emma Stone's ghostly pale skin as well as a glimpse of the rest of the cast. Watch below:

Poor Things is coming to UK cinemas on Friday 12th January. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on tonight.

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