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"It was made very clear to me that 'p---y' is a word that we, our society, are not ready to embrace yet," the actress and director explained, adding that she wants to try to "reclaim the word."
Zoë Kravitz is opening up about her decision to change the name of her feature film directorial debut from P---y Island to Blink Twice.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress and director revealed why she renamed the upcoming thriller, detailing the "roadblocks" that led to her decision to change the title to Blink Twice.
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View Story"It was made very clear to me that 'p---y' is a word that we, our society, are not ready to embrace yet," Kravitz explained. "There were a lot of roadblocks along the way, whether it be the MPAA not wanting to put it on a poster, or a billboard, or a kiosk; movie theaters not wanting to put it on a ticket."
According to the 35-year-old, many female moviegoers had a strong reaction.
"Interestingly enough, after researching it, women were offended by the word, and women seeing the title were saying, 'I don't want to see that movie,' which is part of the reason I wanted to try and use the word, which is trying to reclaim the word, and not make it something that we're so uncomfortable using," she told EW. "But we're not there yet. And I think that's something I have the responsibility as a filmmaker to listen to. I care about people seeing the film, and I care about how it makes people feel."
Despite the film -- which stars her fiancé Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie -- now having a new name, Kravitz said the "spirit" of the original title is still embedded in the movie.
"I do believe that P---y Island was the first thing I wrote down when I wrote this movie, and it's the seed of the film, and the spirit of what that means to me is still alive and very much present in the film," she shared. "And I love the new title. I'm happy with the new title. I think everything happens for a reason, and I think it actually really focuses the movie in a great way. And I think that was always the way it was meant to be."'
The synopsis for Blink Twice, per Amazon MGM Studios, reads: "When tech billionaire Slater King (Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Ackie) at his fundraising gala, sparks fly. He invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. It’s paradise. Wild nights blend into sun soaked days and everyone's having a great time. No one wants this trip to end, but as strange things start to happen, Frida begins to question her reality. There is something wrong with this place. She’ll have to uncover the truth if she wants to make it out of this party alive."
The film also stars Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, and Alia Shawkat.
Blink Twice hits theaters August 23.
