PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   We are currently experiencing a surge in interest for unusual, science fiction–driven horror films centered around women. Whether it’s a robot performing a dance in a hallway, Elisabeth Sparkle and Sue failing to maintain balance, or a Native American girl pursued by a Predator, we seem to be in a brief renaissance of this subgenre. This style of speculative fiction has been present in science fiction for a long time, extending beyond just cinema into the realm of science fiction novels.

It was inevitable that these two mediums would eventually intersect, leading to one of the most groundbreaking feminist science fiction novels being adapted for the big screen by a director and lead actor who are already well-regarded within the genre.

According to Deadline, Jennifer Kent, known for her work on The Babadook, has agreed to write and direct the 1973 science fiction novella The Girl Who Was Plugged In. Sophie Thatcher, recognized for her performances in Companion and Heretic, is set to star in dual roles. The narrative centers on a young woman confined to her bed who consents to remotely operate a genetically engineered teenager and utilize her to sway public opinion in a dystopian society where advertising is prohibited. Thatcher will portray both Philadelphia “P.” Burke, the controller, and Delphi, her “puppet.”

The Girl Who Was Plugged In was initially authored by James Tiptree, Jr., an alias employed by author, artist, and Air Force veteran Alice B. Sheldon. Sheldon stands as one of the most captivating science fiction authors in history: she never made any public appearances but maintained extensive correspondence under the pseudonym Tiptree, including forming a pen pal relationship with Ursula K. Le Guin. She continued using the pen name even after her true identity became widely known until she fatally shot her husband and subsequently herself in 1987.

Sheldon’s — or, more accurately, Tiptree’s — works typically explored themes related to second-wave feminism, which was influenced by her use of a male pseudonym. The Girl Who Was Plugged In is narrated from the perspective of a smarmy, male narrator, resembling a dystopian Rod Serling, who remarks things like “P. Burke proves apt. Somewhere in that horrible body is a gazelle, an houri who would have been buried forever without this crazy chance. See the ugly duckling go!”

This is precisely the kind of intriguing subversion that would make for an outstanding episode of Black Mirror, or, in this instance, a sharp and intelligent science fiction movie.

Beyond its inclusion in a 1998 episode of the Canadian television series Welcome to Paradox, The Girl Who Was Plugged In has never before been adapted for the screen. (Composer Alan Menken did adapt it as the initial act of his musical Weird Romance, however.) Nevertheless, it is difficult to envision a more fitting duo to undertake such a distinctive story: Jennifer Kent has demonstrated her ability to craft a world brimming with dread and female anger in The Babadook, while Sophie Thatcher has appeared in numerous science fiction, horror, and science fiction-horror projects including Yellowjackets, The Book of Boba Fett, and Prospect.

It is hoped that together, they can successfully capture the unique tone of this story—one that is neither ironic nor earnest and delves deeply into influencer culture long before the term itself gained widespread usage. If there is a reason this story has not yet been transformed into a movie, it is likely because it simply awaited a world ready for it.

The Girl Who Was Plugged In does not yet have a release date.