Natasha Lyonne, renowned for her multifaceted talents, is on the verge of adding feature film directing and screenwriting to her already impressive résumé. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Lyonne, currently starring alongside Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon in His Three Daughters, revealed that she has written her first film and anticipates directing it soon. Although she humorously wished for a “second or third self” to manage the project’s workload, she remains optimistic about its timeline.
Best known for her role in Poker Face, where she’s currently filming the second season while also directing, writing, and producing, Lyonne was coy about the movie’s specifics. However, she teased that it’s a must-see for animal lovers, particularly those fond of dogs. “If you’re a dog person, you’ll love it—it plays with time, just like dog years do,” she quipped, a nod perhaps to her own dog, Rootbeer, who is 14 years old.
As for the film’s tone, she cryptically added: “It’s deep, if you’re into deep stuff. But if you’re even deeper—it’s a comedy.”
Despite her excitement, Lyonne acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the project’s final form, indicating that she wouldn’t be disheartened if it didn’t materialize exactly as envisioned. “I don’t really view a misstep as a failure,” she explained. “It’s just about finding the right version of it, which hasn’t happened yet.”
In a parting note of wisdom, Lyonne offered advice to aspiring creators: “You never really know what the fate of your work will be.”
In addition to her feature film aspirations, Lyonne has a packed schedule. She is slated to appear in the highly anticipated Fantastic Four reboot, co-starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Her production company, Animal Pictures, which recently signed a first-look deal with Sister, has several shows in the pipeline, including Loot on Apple TV+ starring Maya Rudolph. Moreover, Lyonne is set to star opposite Jenna Ortega in Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel Klara and the Sun.
