Anya Taylor-Joy is venturing back into familiar terrain this summer. She stars in the Apple TV crime thriller ‘Lucky,’ set against the blazing California desert. Taylor-Joy previously faced similar environments in ‘Furiosa’ and the upcoming ‘Dune: Part Three.’
I’ve been to the desert so many times it feels unreal,” she notes. “People enjoy watching me struggle and survive, and I enjoy doing it too.
In ‘Lucky,’ she plays the lead character from Marissa Stapley’s novel. A con artist wakes up betrayed, pursued by both the FBI and a feared crime boss over a missing $10 million. Her father, imprisoned, can only offer limited assistance. Executive producer Lauren Neustadter describes this as a pivotal point where Lucky must determine her path in life.
The series, featuring seven episodes, debuts on Wednesday. In the first episode, Lucky confronts danger head-on, escaping from a car trunk and defending herself. “How can someone so small cause so much trouble?” one antagonist muses.
The series’ ensemble cast includes Annette Bening, Drew Starkey, and Timothy Olyphant. A female-centric soundtrack features artists like Fiona Apple, Sleater-Kinney, and Siouxsie Sioux. Bening’s character, a mob leader, grapples with conflicting priorities, leading her to make ruthless choices. “She’s an intriguing figure,” Bening comments on her complex character.
Taylor-Joy also serves as an executive producer, approached by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine media company. She embraced the opportunity after connecting with the novel and its protagonist, Lucky. Jonathan Tropper created the series with Cassie Pappas, combining crime thriller elements with a family drama core.
Pappas highlights the central theme: balancing familial influence with carving out a new path. Lucky relies on her upbringing in deception to navigate her perilous journey while contemplating a different life. “We all contend with our past restraints,” Tropper says, “but Lucky’s stakes are life-threatening.”
Beyond her on-screen exploits, Taylor-Joy played a role in casting and influenced the show’s aesthetic. Reflecting on the experience, she expresses enjoyment in both the challenges and the collaborative process.
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