If you tend to keep up with the best in short stories from the New Yorker, you will already be familiar with author Kristen Roupenian. Back in late 2017, her now viral short story, Cat Person, completely blew up the internet, quickly becoming the magazine's most downloaded fiction of the year. So, what made this thrilling tale more of a hit than any other? A common and relatable storyline of course – the absolute terrors of the modern dating world. Now, after almost four years since it first dropped, Cat Person is being turned into a film. All the details below.
What is Cat Person about?
For those who haven't read the original story, let us give a quick synopsis. Described as a psychological thriller with a Promising Young Woman air about it, Roupenian's tale focuses on 20-year-old college student Margot, and the brief and uncomfortable relationship she has with an older man, Robert, who frequently visits the cinema she works at.
“Using Kristen’s excruciatingly well-observed short story about the horrors of dating as the jumping off point for an actual genre film, Cat Person will explore the hellscape of modern romance,” says Fogel via Deadline. “And the idea that we have all been the villain in someone else’s story, and the victim in others.”
If you're hanging to find out how the story ends, you can still read Roupenian's short story ahead of the film to come.
Who is involved?
Roupenian has penned the script, while Studiocanal, the film company behind the project, has certainly not skimped when it comes to casting. Fans of Succession will recognise actor Nicholas Braun as Robert in a perfectly cast role. Emilia Jones, known for her performance in CODA and the Sofia Coppola-produced film Fairyland, stars as Margot. Meanwhile, Australian actress Geraldine Viswanathan will play Margot's best friend who helps her navigate the whole uncomfortable situation.
Is there a trailer?
There is! We love the angle Susanna Fogel has taken, using the following Margaret Atwood quote to anchor the storyline. "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them."
When will the film debut?
At this stage, Cat Person is set to debut in US theatres from October 6. However, there's no word yet on an Australian release date.
Image: Twitter
