Podtalk: Costume Designer Holly Waddington of ‘Poor Things’

Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 9, 2023 - 1:44pm

CHICAGO – One of the great “characters” in Yorgos Lanthinmos excellent new film “Poor Things” is undoubtably the costumes that Bella (Emma Stone) wears. The costume designer behind those works of art is Holly Waddington, and HollywoodChicago.com talked to her at the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) in October.

“Poor Things” begins with Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), a doctor whose procedures are revolutionizing operations in the early 1900s. When a pregnant woman (Emma Stone) attempts suicide by throwing herself in a London river, Godwin fishes her out, takes her baby’s brain, transplants into the distraught woman’s body, re-animates her Frankenstein-style, and raises her as an experiment … renaming her Bella. Godwin recruits his student Max (Ramy Youssef) to observe and record her as she develops her new consciousness, and the hapless man-boy falls in love with her. Enter Duncan (Mark Ruffalo), a notorious womanizer who takes Bella on a journey to use and abuse her, but when they end up broke she turns the tables on him, and he falls in love with her. So when her past arises again, what is a new soul like Bella to do? The film had a limited release on December 8th, and will release wide on December 22nd.

Emma Stone as Bella in ‘Poor Things,’ Wearing a Holly Waddington-Designed Costume
Photo credit: Searchlight Pictures

British native Holly Waddington describes her early journey in the Podtalk below, and in her career she has moved up the ladder in her chosen field with costume work on such films as “Happy Go Lucky,” “First Night,” “War Horse” and “Lincoln.” She was Costume Designer on “Lady Macbeth” (winner, Best Costume Design at the British Independent Film Awards) and TV’s “The Great,” where she worked with Tony McNamara, the co-writer of “Poor Things.”

Costume Designer Holly Waddington Shows Off Her Style at CIFF
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

In an Podtalk interview with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Costume Designer Holly Waddington of “Poor Things” journey and destination …

Trailer, “Poor Things” …

CLICK HERE for a perfect score on-air film review of “Poor Things” by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com.

”Poor Things” had a limited release on December 8th, and will release wide on December 22nd. See local listings. Featuring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael. Costume Designs by Holly Waddington. Screenplay adapted by Yorgos Latinthimos and Tony McNamara. Directed by Yorgos Latinthimos. Rated “R”