Kristen Stewart Talks Directorial Debut

2022 has been a year of achievements and new challenges for Kristen Stewart. Nominated for an Oscar for her acclaimed performance in the drama Spencer, the actress now faces a new challenge: directing. In a recent interview, the actress revealed that she is adapting author Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir The Chronology of Water for the screen. The project will be Stewart's directorial debut for a feature film, having previously directed short films and music videos.

The Twilight star told IndieWire how excited she is for this adaptation of the book. “If I don't make this movie before the end of the year, I'm going to die,” she said. However, filming has been halted as the actress evaluates the production's financing. "I'm doing the movie this summer, but other than that, my only goal is to just finish the script and hire a really spectacular actress, I'm going to write the best female role. I'm going to write a role that I really want but that I'm not taking on." 

As early as the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Stewart has been open about her attachment to this project and her passion for telling Yuknavitch's story. “Lidia Yuknavitch is from Portland. I love her novels, but her memories are deeply personal to her," said Stewart. "She's in my blood and I knew that before I met her."

Recently, Stewart has been seen back on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet to promote her new film with Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux, the controversial and disturbing Crimes of the Future. Directed by David Cronenberg, the was nominated for the Palme d'Or.

“It's funny that a lot of people say that Cronenberg's movies are hard to watch. Every bleeding cut, every bruise in [his] movies makes my jaw drop, I lean in to pay attention. They never disgust me. I could be completely wrong, I feel it through a visceral desire. That is the reason why we are alive. It's sex with pleasure," commented the actress.