The name on everybody’s lips this fall will undoubtedly beAnora. After debuting earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, the Sean Baker directed pic won the Palme d’Or and earned critical acclaim, with particular praise aimed at Mikey Madison’s star-making turn as the title character.
Anorahas since screened at various film festivals, including theToronto International Film Festivaland the Telluride Film Festival, and it is poised to debut in limited release on October 18 before expanding nationwide. It has also been widely tipped for awards glory this year, where it has been suggested that Madison could very well be a lock for a Best Actress nomination.
Where To Watch Anora: Showtimes & Streaming Status
There are different options for where to watch Anora, as its exclusive theatrical release and future streaming debut make it accessible to viewers.
Anorafollows its title character, Ani for short, a New York City sex worker who ends up in a whirlwind romance with Ivan (Mark Eidelstein), the son of Russian oligarchs, that results in a hasty wedding. When Ivan’s family finds out about his marriage, things quickly devolve into a symphony of chaos.
Mikey Madison Approached The Role Of Anora With Great Care
That Care Has Paid Off
Until now, Madison’s buzziest role was in 2022’sScream, but she has also appeared inBetter ThingsandOnce Upon a Time…In Hollywood. 2024 has seen Madison enter a whole new phase of her career, but when asked how she feels about all the praise she has received forAnora, Madison stays focused on the film.
“I don’t know,“she says on the possibility of being nominated for Best Actress,“I’m just so happy that people have been loving the film and that it’s going to be shown in a much broader way than I ever could have anticipated.“Before its wider release,Anorawill have screened all over the world, something that Madison has been soaking up.
There are so many things I admire about [Ani]…
“I get to go to all these amazing countries and show our film in different languages. It’s been a dream come true. I think I’m still processing a little bit of it.“It seems thatAnoramay open even more doors for the young star, who knows exactly what she wants her next steps to be.
“I have a running Google Doc of directors I love, producers, writers, [and] actors,“she says,“I’m constantly discovering new ones. There’s so much talent.“Luca Guadagnino, the director of 2024 filmsChallengersandQueer, is one name Madison cites. Alice Rohrwacher, whose filmLa Chimerareleased earlier this year, is another.
Anora Cast & Character Guide
Anora is the latest movie from Sean Baker, and its cast includes a mixture of Russian and American actors who have interesting backgrounds.
Before she moves on to her next role, though, Madison is still cherishing her time spent as Ani, even if she doesn’t see many similarities between herself and the character.“I think that Ani is someone who always felt so different than who I am,“she says,“And I think that there are things about her that I wish I had.”
“I love her fighting spirit. I love her hopefulness. I love her scrappiness and her willingness to just jump into a fight, physically or verbally, at any moment,“Madison continues,“There are so many things I admire about her, but in terms of any similarities, I feel like we’re so different.”
One of the main differences between Madison and Ani is their voices. Where Madison is soft-spoken and thoughtful, Ani is brash and speaks her mind, with a thick New York accent to boot. Madison explained how she nailed the accent, something that she put a lot of work and care into, just as she did with making sure to portray sex work as accurately as possible.
I worked with a dialect coach to create a base for the accent. I wanted it to be very specific to Brighton Beach, to Brooklyn, and I also wanted to infuse a modern way of speaking. There’s a certain inflection that a lot of young women I met at these clubs had, and I wanted Ani to have [it] as well, because I found it to be very charming and present. So I got to New York, to Brighton Beach, a little less than a month early, so that I could live in that community and experience the culture and listen and fine tune the accent as much as I could. Then I, embarrassingly, would test it out, ordering a coffee, just seeing if it would pass by without anyone noticing anything. And I think I drilled that accent so deep into my brain that I was able to just slip into it in an easy way.
In such a singular role, Madison has found a film that will propel her to new heights. Until then, though, the entire cast and crew ofAnorastill have awards season to get through, and it seems possible that the road will be a long one.
More About Anora
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
