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.

Here’s the film’s synopsis. 

Joy tells the remarkable true story behind the ground-breaking birth of Louise Joy Brown in 1978, the world’s first ‘test-tube- baby’, and the tireless 10-year journey to make it possible. Told through the perspective of Jean Purdy, a young nurse and embryologist, who joined forces with scientist Robert Edwards and surgeon Patrick Steptoe to unlock the puzzle of infertility by pioneering in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The film celebrates the power of perseverance and the wonders of science as it follows this maverick trio of visionaries who overcame tremendous odds and opposition to realise their dream, and in doing so allowed millions of people to dream with them.

The film stars Bill Nighy (The Beautiful Game) as Dr. Patrick Steptoe, James Norton (Happy Valley) as Robert Edwards, and Thomasin McKenzie (Totally Completely Fine) as Nurse Jean Purdy. Co-stars include Charlie Murphy (Obsession), Douggie McMeekin (The Decameron), Rish Shah (Ms. Marvel), Eion Duffy (The Dry), and Cecily Cleeve (The Marvels). 

Taylor directed Joy from Thorne and Mason’s script. The film is produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey of the U.K.’s Wildgaze, best known for prestige U.K. features like An Education with Carey Mulligan. Cameron McCracken is an executive producer for Pathe. 

Joy will premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on Tuesday, October 15. It arrives in limited release in theaters on Friday, November 15, and will debut on Netflix a week later on Friday, November 22, 2024