The mood was festive on the red carpet for Luckiest Girl Alive as the film’s cast and director reunited with hugs, cheers and a rambunctious group shot ahead of the film’s New York City premiere. At the center of the photo was star Mila Kunis, whose intense and emotional portrayal of protagonist Ani FaNelli was on everyone’s mind as they headed into the Paris Theater.
“She’s someone people see themselves in,” producer Bruna Papandrea told Tudum about the decision to cast Kunis — who’s also a producer of the film. “It was important that people identify with Ani.”
Based on the bestselling 2015 novel of the same name by Jessica Knoll, Luckiest Girl Alive centers on Kunis’ seemingly perfect character. On the outside, Ani is a picture of glossy aspiration: great clothes, cool magazine job and a fiancé in finance. But her inner monologue betrays a much darker worldview, one born out of a traumatic event from Ani’s past that she fears will haunt her forever.
Kunis was the magic element that made all the pieces of the story work. “She has such range. She can do comedy, she can do darkness and she can do heartfelt emotions,” producer Jeanne Snow said. “She just has it all.”
Director Mike Barker also praised the star. “The thing about Mila is that if you have a bad idea, she’ll go, ‘That’s a shit idea.’ And if you have a good idea, she’ll say, ‘That’s a great idea.’ She’s always on the set, always knows her lines. I love her.”
Knoll, who adapted her own novel for the screen, summarized Kunis’ dedicated work ethic using an unusual example. “The first time I met Mila, I brought over some pre-made cocktails from a really good bar in Toronto,” she said. “It had a little sugar rim packet that you’re supposed to dump out and spin the rim of the glass in. I was like, ‘I don’t want to do all that.’ And [Mila] said, ‘I do. Let’s do this properly.’ She did it so perfectly; she brought out a dish, she garnished with a lemon wedge, she did the sugar ring. She said, ‘If we’re going to have a cocktail, let’s do it right.’ ”
Kunis later downplayed her bartending skills, joking, “I probably just have a heavy pour, is what she’s referring to. She’s not wrong.”
Still, she notes that the convivial atmosphere at the premiere is a testament to the safe and supportive environment that Barker created on the set — not an easy feat for a film that deals with a number of disturbing and traumatic events. “We had one of the greatest environments I’ve ever been a part of,” Kunis said. “Every day we had a blast and every day we laughed.”
The film’s young cast members were visibly thrilled when the director arrived, rushing to shake his hand and catch up. Among them was Chiara Aurelia, who plays Kunis’ character in high school, back when she went by TifAni.
“We all absolutely adore each other, truly,” Aurelia told Tudum, adding that being able to lean on her co-stars was instrumental in helping her navigate this challenging role. “I have a really good support system, and that’s what really grounds me and brings me down to Earth in the end,” she added.
Carson MacCormac, who shares a particularly difficult scene with Aurelia, was equally grateful for their bond. “Everyone was so supportive on set,” he said. “Chiara specifically. We were just such a close-knit community, and I think some of the heavier scenes also brought us closer together. We bonded over the fact that it was something just us were going through on the day. It was a tough thing to film, but we had a blast.”
Amidst all the celebration, however, there was a palpable sense of responsibility and emotion among the Luckiest Girl Alive team in being tasked with telling this important story.
Snow and Papandrea, who optioned Knoll’s book seven and a half years ago, were overwhelmed at the thought of the film’s Oct. 7 release. “I’m going to cry again!” Papandrea said, trying to describe how she felt standing on the carpet at the end of this long journey.
But no one has come farther with this tale than Knoll, who poured so much of herself and her own experience into the character of Ani. As she walked into the theater to watch the film with an excited audience, she shared some words of wisdom for her 16-year-old self. “I always knew I was going to be okay,” she said. “I just knew I had to get out of high school and that town and away from all the people who just owned the narrative [that] wasn’t really the truth of what happened. I would tell her, ‘You were right. Always have confidence in yourself. You got your dreams realized.’ ”
Watch Luckiest Girl Alive when it comes to Netflix on Oct. 7 and see the cast and crew on the red carpet in the gallery below.
