Scarlett Johansson has starred in all kinds of movies, but it was during the premiere of one of them that she ended up crying due to the poor reception she received.
There is no doubt that Scarlett Johansson is one of the most talented actresses of her generation, and over the years, she has starred in all types of films, demonstrating her great talent and versatility. Among her most popular projects are those she made within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the truth is that her filmography goes far beyond superhero movies.
In 2013, the 38-year-old actress starred in Under the Skin, a science fiction film directed by Jonathan Glazer. It is based on the novel of the same name by Michel Faber and follows the story of an alien, who assumes the identity of a woman and is in charge of attracting men in Scotland, leading them to a fatal destiny.
Under the Skin had its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, where it received very polarizing reactions from critics, to the point that it was heavily booed and several people left the movie theater. However, with time the perception of the film improved, and now many call it almost a masterpiece by Jonathan Glazer.
As the director of the festival, Alberto Barbera recalled, Scarlett Johansson ended up crying due to such a reaction. "Scarlett was crying and I tried to tell her 'Don't worry, eventually the movie will be recognized.' And that's exactly what happened. “Now it is a cult film,” she expressed during an interview, where she recalled the premiere of Under the Skin as one of the worst in the history of the Venice Film Festival. A week later, the film was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it also suffered boos and walkouts.
The project took almost a decade to complete, as Jonathan Glazer decided to adapt Faber's novel the same year it was published, in 2000. However, he did not begin working on it until after the premiere of his second film, Reincarnation, and the process took many years.
Glazer rewrote the script several times, and the first version was quite different from the film that ended up premiering at the Venice Film Festival. Initially, the film follows two aliens, who take on the appearance of a farming couple. The project was going very well, and Brad Pitt was chosen to play his husband, however, Glazer changed his mind and decided to focus only on the perspective of the world through the woman's eyes.
Curiously, Under the Skin was not the only Jonathan Glazer film to be booed in Venice. In 2004, Reincarnación (Birth) was also poorly received by critics and was the subject of controversy. The film revolves around an engaged woman (Nicole Kidman), who meets a 10-year-old boy and believes that he is the reincarnation of her deceased husband.
This year, Jonathan Glazer returned to the big screen with his first film since the release of Under the Skin. It was The Zone of Interest, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received very positive reviews and even won the Grand Prix, among other awards. As for Scarlett Johansson, the actress continues to shine in the productions in which she stars, as is the case with Asteroid City, Wes Anderson's latest film.
