Kristen Stewart has been acting since she was 12 years old. After bracing the Twilight storm and becoming one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation, with unique performances in Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper, and Love Lies Bleeding, she’s finally making her directorial debut.
The Chronology of Water is based on author Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir of the same name, and it’s been a long time coming for Stewart: the passion project was first announced in 2018. Renesmee Cullen wasn’t even a teenager then — now she’s 18 years old! Here’s everything we know about The Chronology of Water, including plot details and whether there’s a release date.
Plot
The Chronology of Water follows swimmer-turned-writer Lidia, played by Imogen Poots (Outer Range, Green Room), from “her earliest childhood memories in the Pacific Northwest, through explosive misfires and mistakes, children that almost-were, toxic relationships, art heroes, wins and losses.” The synopsis continues, The Chronology of Water is “an in-depth exploration of sexuality, of creativity, an unflinching stare at all the gory details of having a female body and a sensitive depiction of the emotional vocabulary of youth.”
Despite it being her first film (and a “f*cking thrill ride”), Stewart was a dream to work with, according to Poots. “She’s really something. She was born to do it. I’m so proud of her,” she told Collider. “She’s done it her way and it’s the only way. I think she’s punk-rock and authentic, and she’s my favorite girl. I think she’s amazing.” Poots even called Stewart “one of the greatest directors I’ve ever worked with in my life.”
Stewart was so determined to adapt The Chronology of Water that she vowed to quit acting until it was made. “I’m going to make this movie before I ever work for someone else,” she told Variety earlier this year. “Yeah, I will quit the f*cking business. I won’t make a-f*cking-nother movie until I make this movie. I will tell you that, for sure. I think that will get things going.”
The gambit worked: the first image from The Chronology of Water is here.
Cast
Outside of Imogen Poots, The Chronology of Water also stars Thora Birch, Earl Cave, Michael Epp, Susannah Flood, Kim Gordon (of Sonic Youth fame), and Jim Belushi. Name another movie with a member of Sonic Youth (Gordon), the star of K-9 (Belushi), and a human named Imogen Poots (Poots)? You can’t!
Release Date
The Chronology of Water does not currently have a release date, so expect sometime in 2025. If that’s the case, it will be a big year for Stewart. She’s also starring in Sacramento, a road trip comedy with Michael Cera, Maya Erskine, and Michael Angarano; post-apocalyptic romance Love Me with Steven Yeun; and Flesh of the Gods, Mandy director Panos Cosmatos’ sexy vampire movie about a married couple played by Stewart and Oscar Isaac who are “seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills, and violence.”
Trailer
There’s no trailer for The Chronology of Water yet, so instead, please enjoy Kristen Stewart’s delightful day drinking antics with Seth Meyers.
