Channing Tatum on Playing Psychopath Slater King in Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice

Hollywood heartthrob Channing Tatum, who is known for his charismatic and often light-hearted roles, is about to shock the audiences by taking them on a haunting journey. His latest venture, Blink Twice, directed by Zoë Kravitz in her directorial debut, is a psychological thriller that examines themes of power and money. Tatum plays a terrifying tech billionaire named Slater King, a version of the actor we’re not used to.

The early buzz already has fans anticipating the enigma that will be Slater King. To fuel the fire, Tatum sat for an exclusive interview with Total Film and opened up about leaving his comfort zone to inhibit the dark and psychopathic character.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever played anyone [like this]. Every character I play, I usually have some sort of love for or a connection to. I don’t think I’ll ever tell anybody what I had to create inside my head to play this person… He’s a psychopath.”

Blink Twice

Directed by Zoë Kravitz, Blink Twice is a drama thriller film, marking her first foray into the world of directing. The film follows a cocktail waitress invited to a tech billionaire’s private resort home to party with them – but after arriving, she begins to discover the dark truth behind the island.

Release Date August 23, 2024

Set against the backdrop of a sun-soaked private island, Blink Twice kicks off with an intriguing encounter between Slater King and a cocktail waitress named Frida. Their paths intersect once again and King ends up inviting her to his secluded paradise. She arrives with her best friend, Jess, and it’s all fun and games until Jess disappears and the paradise turns into a nightmare of strange occurrences. The drama and suspense intensifies, with clues leading back to the billionaire.

Kravitz’s Inspiration Behind Creating Blink Twice

Although Kravitz has delivered indelible performances in recent years with movies like The Batman and Kimi, she has not been in the director’s chair until now. The project, which was originally titled Pussy Island, had sparked controversy and discussion before undergoing production. Explaining the idea and relevance, Kravitz told in an interview with the Wall Street Journal how the “seed of the story” lies in the “anger and frustration around the lack of conversation about the treatment of women” and the movie “represents this time where it would be acceptable for a group of men to call a place that, and the illusion that we’re out of that time now.”

Related 15 Actors Who Became Great Directors

It isn’t strange for actors to move behind the camera and direct their own films. In fact, some of the best directors were once actors.

As a director, Kravitz acknowledges her responsibilities and considers audiences’ sensibilities. And because Blink Twice is a movie that weaves its narrative around power dynamics and isolation, it is important that the title reflects both the artistic intent and the social context of it. The drama of the movie, according to Kravitz, comes from being stuck in an unfamiliar place.

“It was really more about power dynamics and trying to create a situation where the characters were isolated. That, in my mind, is the scariest situation you could be in – whether you’re trapped in the back of a car, in a closet, or in a dark room at a party. À la Lord of the Flies, I was trying to find an environment where the characters had to stay and deal with the crumbling of the power dynamics.”

Beyond Channing Tatum, Blink Twice stars Naomi Ackie as Frida. An ensemble cast made of Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, and Alia Shawkat makes the riveting thriller more meticulous and mysterious. We’re eagerly waiting to witness the clash of personalities, escalating tension, and unexpected twists that Blink Twice has to offer.

Blink Twice
is slated for release in theaters on August 23, 2024.

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