Christopher Abbott Joins Emma Stone in Searchlight’s ‘Poor Things’

Christopher Abbott (It Comes At Night) has joined the all-star cast of Searchlight Pictures’ adaptation of Poor Things. Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, The Lobster) is set to direct the adaptation of the Alasdair Gray novel.

Abbott joins a cast that includes Emma Stone (Cruella), Willem Dafoe (Spider–Man), Mark Ruffalo (Avengers: Endgame), and Ramy Youssef (Hulu’s Ramy). Tony McNamara (Cruella) will adapt the script. Element Pictures will produce along with Stone, who will produce under her Fruit Tree banner, and Lanthimos.

Read: Rob Yang Joins Searchlight’s Dark Comedy ‘The Menu’

Poor Things is a postmodern revision of Frankenstein that replaces the traditional monster with Bella Baxter – a beautiful young erotomaniac brought back to life with the brain of an infant. According to Deadline, the film will be a Victorian tale of love, discovery, and scientific daring. It is unknown who Christopher Abbott will be playing, but Stone is playing the lead with Dafoe playing the man that brings her character back to life.

Best known for his breakout role in George Clooney’s adaptation of Catch-22 which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in limited series, Abbott was most recently seen opposite Aubrey Plaza in Black Bear as well Possessor. He can be seen next opposite Jerrod Carmichael in Carmichael’s directorial debut On the Count Of Three, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year and was acquired by Annapurna for release through MGM’s Orion Pictures.