CULTURE

Everything We Know About Kristen Stewart’s Gay Bodybuilder Movie

by Steph Eckardt

Kristen Stewart wearing a purple dress and a matching head scarf
Photo by Tim Walker for ‘W’

After a months-long marathon press tour, Kristen Stewart is finally putting Princess Diana in her past. In the latest proof that the 32-year-old Spencer star has the range, Stewart has officially signed on to Love Lies Bleeding, the upcoming A24 film about a gay bodybuilder directed by Rose Glass. And before you get your hopes up about seeing K-Stew get ripped, she plays the role of the bodybuilder’s “protective lover.”

According to sources who spoke with the Hollywood Reporter, the film is equal parts romance— “fueled by ego, desire, and the American dream”—and “the extreme qualities it takes to succeed in the competitive world of bodybuilding.” As we wait for A24 to release more details, here’s everything else we know about the film so far.

Who’s in the Love Lies Bleeding cast besides Stewart?

That remains entirely unclear, though Glass will no doubt be on the lookout for someone with a muscly build who can throw and take a punch. (We wouldn’t mind seeing Stewart costar with Michelle Yeoh.) If Glass wants to go with a pro, there’s one clear contender: WWE star and mixed martial master Ronda Rousey has had roles in a Fast and Furious film and Charlie’s Angels, along with a number of TV shows.

Though, according to the Reporter, the part could potentially be awarded to a complete unknown: “The filmmakers are hoping to cast the lead as authentically as possible, with the search currently underway.”

Who is the director, Rose Glass?

The 32-year-old British up-and-comer made it clear she’s one to watch when A24 released St. Maud in 2019. The critically acclaimed horror film starred Morfydd Clark as the titular self-appointed saint, who is several levels beyond ascetic. Her extreme piety manifests in extreme self-punishment, and the possessive fits that Glass was fond of describing as “godgasms” make it clear that the director has a knack for horror. Love Lies Bleeding is her first project since, and by far her most high-profile one yet.

When does Love Lies Bleeding hit theaters?

The film currently in pre-production, and with no further cast members publicly confirmed, it sounds like it’ll be a minute until its release.

What else is next for K-Stew?

It’s a big week for Stewart: Thursday brought the first trailer for Crimes of the Future, David Cronenberg’s first film in eight years. The gory horror movie, which premieres next month at the Cannes Film Festival, stars Viggo Mortensen as a celebrity performance artist who “publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances,” per Neon. Stewart plays an investigator from the National Organ Registry who obsessively tracks his movements as part of a quest to learn more about the next phase of human evolution. (The film also stars Léa Seydoux.)

Otherwise, Stewart has been fully occupied with being madly in love with her fiancé Dylan Meyer, whom she’s described as “a really genuine brilliant fucking screenwriter.” Their relationship has also been creatively fruitful. They cowrote a TV show that Stewart will also star in, churning out the first episode in a week and a half “like a fucking superbrain.”