Emma Stone Is Reborn in Fantastical 'Poor Things' Trailer: Watch

Emma Stone Is Reborn in Fantastical 'Poor Things' Trailer: Watch Emma Stone's latest collaboration with filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, 'Poor Things,' releases in theaters Sept. 8

By Tommy McArdle Tommy McArdle Tommy McArdle is a writer-reporter on the Movies team at PEOPLE. Tommy joined PEOPLE in 2022.People Editorial GuidelinesUpdated on June 8, 2023 11:43AM EDT

Emma Stone is growing in her next movie role.

On Thursday, Searchlight Pictures released the official trailer for director Yorgos Lanthimos' next movie Poor Things, which stars Stone, 34, as a woman named Bella Baxter who is brought

back from the dead by a scientist played by Willem Dafoe.

As Dafoe's character says in the trailer, Bella's "brain and her body are not quite synchronized," leading to some quirky moments as she awkwardly learns to wink and dances around.

 20th Century Studios

Dafoe's scientist describes the reborn-again woman as "progressing at an accelerated pace," which appears to quickly prompt Bella's own desire to seek freedom and explore the world.

In a trailer filled with odd imagery — Dafoe's character's "experiments" also seem to include a duck with the head of a French bulldog and a dog with a duck's head, Bella kisses a character

played by Mark Ruffalo, who appears to pine after her. He is later shown calling her name from the street before Bella is shown slapping him, leaving the character nearly speechless.

Stone Thanks 'Wonderful Friend' Taylor Swift After Singer 'Hooked Her Up' with Eras Tour Tickets

 20th Century Studios

An official synopsis for the film calls it "the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr.

Godwin Baxter (Dafoe)."

Bella proves "eager to learn" under the scientist's supervision but quickly "runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the

continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation."

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Aside from Stone, Dafoe and Ruffalo, the film also stars Ramy Youssef (Ramy), comedian Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott (Sanctuary).

Lanthimos' last feature-length film, 2018's The Favourite, also starred Stone and received 10 Oscar nominations. Olivia Colman won Best Actress that year for her role in The Favourite, while

Stone was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Stone, who is a producer on Poor Things, appears to have developed a close collaborative relationship with filmmaker Lanthimos. Both Stone and herThe Favourite castmate Joe Alwyn, as well as

67-year-old Dafoe, are also working together on the filmmaker's next film AND.

 20th Century Studios

In May 2022, Stone told reporters in Athens that working with Lanthimos is "a great gift" after she appeared in his 30-minute short film Bleat, released last year.

"I don't know if it's the hardest project I've ever done, but it was definitely a challenge," Stone said at a press conference at the time. "I could talk for hours about the things I like in

working with Yorgos."

The upcoming movie is written by Tony McNamara, who wrote both The Favourite and Stone's 2021 Disney movie Cruella.

Poor Things is in theaters Sept. 8.

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