The 'Joy' Trailer Is a Timely Reminder of the Miracle of IVF
Sometimes, in the world of entertainment, TV series and films are made as a reaction to a significant cultural event. Consider, for example, the Irish-backed film The Apprentice, starring Sebastian Stan in the title role, which digs into the education of a particular former American president in the middle of his second attempt to return to power. Political correspondent turned screenwriter Gabriel Sherman wrote it after the 2020 election, knowing full well that in four years, it would be perfectly timed to try to stop another coup attempt. (Sherman wrote about the making of it and how hard it was to sell due to its timing for his former employer, Vanity Fair, an article well worth your time.) However, much more often, a film is greenlit completely independently and then overtaken by events like Netflix's upcoming historical drama, Joy.
Greenlit amid the dual writer-actors strike in September 2023, the British-made historical drama was partly pushed into production because no one involved was part of SAG-AFTRA or the WGA. (Like Moonflower Murders, everyone involved was contracted via Actor's Equity and WGGB, whom the Tories legally prevented from sympathy striking.) Conceived of and written by Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials) and his wife, Rachel Mason, the movie is a historical drama recounting how in vitro fertilization (IVF) was invented. Thorne revealed at the time that their personal experience with the procedure inspired the project, as it took many years (and seven rounds) before they finally had their son, Elliott. Director Ben Taylor (Sex Education) also said at the time that taking on the project was due to personal experience, as both his children were conceived using IVF. The film was slated for a late 2024 release, clearly timed for awards season.
Filming took place from September 2023 to January 2024. Three weeks after filming wrapped, on February 16, 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court handed down the instantly infamous ruling that declared frozen embryos “unborn children” for purposes of civil liability. Since then, the debate has become a political flashpoint, pushed to the forefront by Project 2025 and a running mate who my cats would hiss at. Now, as the trailer drops with less than a month until the U.S. Election, that November 2024 release date is now accidentally as much a political statement as it is awards-focused.
