Joey King | The Freedom, The Sanctity of Cerebral Flight

The European stonechat, a member of the robin family, tends to build its nest on or near the ground. Youngsters tumble out into the world as soon as they can, before they can even fly. Apparently, the prospect of flapping without flight amidst the dangers away from the nest pales in comparison to being grounded—a sitting duck, so to speak, for the numerous predators afoot. It is tempting to imagine what the world will be like when the masks come off and gates re-open, where the future has ambition and promise again. Instead, we spend countless hours a day trying to convince ourselves that the same bird who flew out into the world with ease and not a tendril of hesitation is the same one that, at present, doesn’t leave the comfort of their sheets. As we are learning, we must try to keep the heads, in which we spend most of our time, a suitable place to live, regardless of exterior influences. Actor Joey King inspires such force with a simple repeating of her morning hymn, “I am above ground.”

As the first months of 2021 transition to memory, King speaks from a newly found perspective after surviving the seemingly never-ending and ever-changing year of 2020. But while time continues to prove itself to be a construct, King has not wasted a single second. Her fresh and bright demeanor fills her Los Angeles home as she shares an appreciation for the constants that have grounded her in place, when the urge to float away becomes too overwhelming. She speaks kindly of Angel, her fourteen-year-old dog, who is “spunky and bright as ever,” cooking as a form of healing, and self-discovery through introspection and autonomy, encapsulating what it truly means to be young and learning through a pandemic.

King’s standout role as Elle Evans in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth—based on the book of the same title by Beth Reekles—is where she reached a new level of presence. The trilogy follows a spirited high schooler as she navigates her way through the wormhole that is young adulthood, with friendship an evergreen guiding light. And viewers ate it up. The 2018 debut shattered viewership records with 66 million-member views in its first month’s release, launching King to newfound heights. In the first installment, Elle’s turbulent relationship with high school bad boy Noah, played by Jacob Elordi (also of Euphoria fame), sees a wrench thrown into her friendship with Noah’s younger brother. The Kissing Booth 2 sees Noah now off to Harvard, and Elle back for her senior year, with all new problems arising. Closing out the trilogy, King is faced with the decision of where to go to college (and we might assume some push and pull from long time darling Noah). Both installments two and three were filmed in South Africa, the latter to release this summer, and King shows nothing but staggering humility and gratitude for the closing of this five-year run of romantic turbulence and emotional inquiry.

When it seemed like King could not soar any higher, she landed her Emmy-nominated role as Gypsy Rose Blanchard, opposite Patricia Arquette’s overbearing Dee Dee Blanchard, in the critically-acclaimed Hulu true-crime limited series, The Act, about the toxic mother-daughter relationship turned criminal. She also finds herself opposite Brad Pitt in the upcoming action-thriller Bullet Train, a no doubt gripping tale of five assassins on a bullet train who find their missions to be not so unrelated. With her impressive curriculum vitae of thoughtfully crafted roles, King has honed her talent of elegantly evoking an audience, chiefly with her warm countenance and distinct authenticity. She states, “I think that being able to be an everyday person who is able to transform into someone like Elle Evans, to just be like every girl and able to be a lead of a movie, is meaningful. And also to become someone like Gypsy and completely strip away my vanity. I think people resonate with that, that vanity is not my top focus.”

King has also found her way to the producer’s chair, where she has discovered new autonomy in her creativity. Perching herself on the other side of the casting table, she is able to not only develop a deeper understanding of the industry she has dedicated her life to, but advocate for narratives and stories in a different way than she has before. King is set to executive produce and star in Netflix’s Uglies, a film adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s international best-selling dystopian fantasy novel of the same name, set 300 years in the future when everyone must undergo plastic surgery at 16 years old to meet globally dictated beauty standards. Passionately, she says, “I feel so frickin’ grateful to have reached such a certain amount of success where I am now able to decide what I want to produce, and create opportunities for myself that maybe otherwise wouldn’t have presented themselves to me.”

As the recently turned twenty-one-year-old makes her graceful ascent from childhood actor into international stardom, she is no stranger to the glamour and grit of the industry. After the success of The Kissing Booth, she found herself under a different kind of microscope. King confesses, “Being an actor is so tough, because you have this image of who you are and what kind of image you want to present to other people, when in reality you have no control of what people think of you.”

Amassing over 18 million followers on Instagram alone, King finds herself under a spotlight unfathomable by most. With its constant axiom of connection and community only being fulfilled through notifications and likes, social media has achieved a place in our psyche unequivocal to anything before. King confesses, “I started to see the downside of people having so much information about you or to your personality or personal information.” As a result, she has been more hesitant in what she allows for the public to see. She acknowledges the true weight we carry on account of our addictive cyber connections, and she hopes that “this new generation is taking the signs that are being thrown at them and why it is taking a downhill direction.” She urges her peers to “acknowledge it and not participate in the dark side of it.” She then adds, “I have had to remind myself more now of reasons to be confident than I used to.”

Our early twenties are a time of self-discovery. But maybe they’re less about finding ourselves and more about cultivating understanding of others and our world. While it is tempting to hide from our own furies, King instead finds a way to cohabit them, to simply acknowledge that they are there. She says that “being able to pay attention to why you feel a certain way and being able to be okay with that” is one of the most crucial steps you can take for your wellbeing. King hopes to normalize feelings of anxiety and doubt, especially during this time of unwavering confusion. With occasional days spent alone and the distractions of the outside world kept to a dull hum, she has sharpened her intuition, listening to her thoughts with the urgency and intention as if she was listening to a close friend. “I try not put too much pressure on myself,” she says, “because I always feel like I have, so being able to be like, ‘Hey, it’s okay that you’re anxious’, or ‘It’s okay you’re overwhelmed and only answer one email.’ Just being able to say that, I feel better.”

King has become cathectic towards herself, something she acknowledges we don’t do enough. “I have done a lot of work for myself this year,” she shares. “I started therapy this year, which is something I have never done before. I started it to be the best version of myself that I am trying to be.” She speaks hopefully, with the curiosity and positivity of one day knowing more of the course she is on and who she is becoming. In so doing, she sends a sweet reminder to be gentle with ourselves, to speak with soft words, and allow us the space to be patient. “I think that is something that I am really working on and something that I carry through to my life,” she remarks. “I don’t think I am the most patient person. I think that is something I have to work on.”

As the world begins to show some signs of healing, or at least forward momentum, a new perspective is calling from every corner, on so many layers. King reminds us, when considering distance and reflection, to consider the ideology of a bird’s eye view, only seeing what will stand the test of time. “If I lost everything I had right now,” she contemplates, “would I still be happy? If the answer I feel at this moment is yes, then I am doing the work and succeeding at the work hopefully.”

Joey King’s aide-memoire reminds us of the present. With acting comes the need for a presence from mind and body, an awareness of the abundance in each and every moment we breathe in and out. King proclaims, in closing, on the pinball thoughts that grace our everyday, “You kind of have to be in the moment with them. Be intuitive. Be present. Be risky.” From now on, as every morning unfolds with its unique banter of bird chirrup, paired with our current inability to see beyond the edges of the present day, we can only hope to remind ourselves to go into the world, soar, and save the moment.
Source/Buy

Watch the trailer for Nailed It! Double Trouble, where teams of two, including Joey King and her sister, go head to head.

Netflix’s Nailed It! is returning for another season of epic baking mishaps.

PEOPLE can exclusively unveil the first trailer for the new spin-off season of the Emmy-nominated baking series, Nailed It! Double Trouble, premiering March 26 on Netflix.

Hosted by Nicole Byer and Jacques Torres once again, the new season will feature a massive twist: For the first time ever, home bakers will pair up in teams of two to take a shot at recreating edible masterpieces for a $10,000 prize and the coveted “nailed it” trophy.

Among the contestants this season is actress Joey King, who will partner with one of her sisters as they attempt to beat out the other duos in the high-stakes competition.

“With double the help, maybe we’ll get a better cake?” Byer, 34, apprehensively says in the trailer.

“This is painful to watch,” adds Torres.

Guest judges this season will include Andrea Savage, Ron Funches, Lil Rey Howery, Bobby Lee, Brian Posehn, A$AP Ferg.

“From best buds to brothers and sisters, these bakers are twice as bad,” Netflix’s logline for the new season reads. “This season, we go far and wide for inspiration, ranging from delicious baked treats inspired by Greek mythology to sugary desserts from dear old Grandma.”

Nailed It! premiered its first season in 2018 with solo bakers giving their best shot at creating some unforgettable desserts. There have been an additional three regular seasons of the show released, as well as two holiday-themed seasons.

The show has been nominated for three Emmy Awards, twice for outstanding competition program in 2019 and 2020 and once for outstanding host for Byer.

Nailed It! Double Trouble premieres March 26 on Netflix.
– Source

20th Century Studios has acquired The Princess, a spec script By Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton that has The Kissing Booth‘s Joey King attached to star. They’ll make it for Hulu and while the logline is being kept under wraps, spec is described as Rapunzel meets The Raid.

Pic will be Produced by Original Film’s Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe and Derek Kolstad (John Wick). King will be exec producer with Lustig and Thornton co-producing.

If the allusion to The Raid throws you, consider that King is moving from star/exec producer of the Netflix phenomenon The Kissing Booth to being cast opposite Brad Pitt in the action-thriller Bullet Train for Sony Pictures. She was Emmy-nominated for playing Gypsy Rose Blanchard in Hulu limited series The Act, and recently became the youngest person to make a first look deal to produce series for the streaming service. King will be executive producer and star of Netflix’s film adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s best-selling-dystopian fantasy novel Uglies, and she’s attached to star in and produce the Paramount pitch The In Between, and the limited series A Spark Of Light for Sony Pictures TV based on the Jodi Picoult book. She is also set to star opposite Kaitlyn Dever in the live-action comedy series, The Wildest Animals In Griffith Park.

The scribe team broke out with their first spec Winter’s Knight which sold to Sony for 7-figures with director Joachim Ronning. They’ve adapted Night Knights for Sony, Escape Artists and Ian Bryce and on the small screen they adapted House Of The Scorpion for WBTV/CW and The Henson Company and Final Fantasy for Sony Pictures Television.

King is repped by UTA, Industry Entertainment’s Dan Spilo, and Hirsch Wallerstein; Lustig & Thornton are UTA, Circle of Confusion, and Behr Abramson Levy, and Kolstad is APA, Circle of Confusion, and Behr Abramson Levy.
– Source

It’s that time of the year: fall weather, matching sweatsuit sets, and the impending election that has left many Americans on the edge of their seats. Joey King is ready for it all with a new Blumhouse horror film ready to promote, the LA sunsets to keep her golden, and her first election to prepare for. At just 21, Joey’s career is full speed ahead, appearing in countless projects and rightfully having the internet crown her the newest queen of Netflix. But if there’s anything the star wants you to know, it’s that she is just like you and me.

Joey is warm and natural like that friend from college that was always cooler than you but made you feel like you were an equal nonetheless. Our Zoom call vibe was girlie chat meets messy buns, tank tops, and our dogs. Mine: three loud ass hounds, Joey’s: a modelesque yorkie named Angel. And even though Joey and I have never met, it felt like we were catching up on old times. I forgot I was talking to an Emmy nominee, the girl who was my summer envy as she kissed all those boys in that booth. I was just talking to Joey.

Joey is the type of actress to never fall into a typecast. At just 11, the star made a name for herself alongside Selena Gomez in “Ramona and Beezus.” From there she’s bounced between music video appearances, quintessential rom-coms, horror, animated comedy, drama, and of course, The Kissing Booth (which deserves its own genre as a Netflix, young adult comedy filled with beautiful men.) And while it seems that no matter what Joey does it is impossible to hit new ground, she just proved us wrong: She will try her hand at executive producing her newest project of Netflix’s adaptation for “The Uglies” book series. Pre-COVID, Joey took her idea of a movie adaptation to network and they loved it.

“Ever since I was young, this was my favorite book series ever. I was always obsessed with the idea of playing Tally Youngblood and was always just hoping and praying that one day they made a movie of it so that I could,” she says. “I just have a desire to create things that make me happy and just work on things that ignite a fire in my heart. So I was like you know what? I’m just gonna do it myself,” she says smiling into the camera. She credits Scott Westerfeld, the author of the series, for allowing her to star and produce this project. I noticed her body shift closer into the camera as I felt her passion. “It’s been a dream of mine for a very long time,” she says.

She cites the series’ relatability as the fuel to her fire. “I got told when I was younger that I wasn’t pretty enough for a few roles,” she says. “People’s perception of you really changes your own perception of yourself and so this book was always something that was so near and dear to my heart. That these ‘uglies’ were finding ways to really embrace their own actual beauty.”

One thing about Joey that is quick to note is how confidently she carries herself. She knows she’s a badass – in the least Hollywood asshole way possible – and reminds people that it doesn’t matter what people think. “It’s really hard with the amount of people that say really creative mean things,” she says. “It’s important to remember that for every person who says something like that, there’s so many more that feel a different way about you. There’s also your family and friends who love you. So who actually cares about what these people who don’t know anything about you besides what they think they know? Who gives a shit!”

Besides serving as a role model to young people, she is also feeling the pressure to do something to ensure that 2021 doesn’t end up like the shit storm this year was–is. “My hope for 2021 is just overall betterness. But the thing is like, I think what’s kind of scary is that a lot of people are like, ‘oh, I’m so over 2020, I can’t wait for 2021’ as if New Year’s Eve is just gonna magically cure the world. Cause it’s not–it’s going to be a long road ahead of us.” But Joey says her hope for 2021 is a Biden and Harris administration and that, “the whole world stops burning,” she says with a giggle, but I know she’s not joking. This place is a mess.

Luckily though, Joey is 21 and can actually vote in this year’s election. “I voted yesterday and it feels so good,” she says smiling and dancing into the camera. “It’s the most exciting thing that you can do as an adult. You literally get a say in your future and others’ futures and the state of the world. It’s just the coolest thing you can do!”

Her personal tip is to do your research before trying to fill out the ballot and listening to each other regardless of party. “People are just listening to respond and no one is listening to listen. I think if you are a Democrat, if you are a Republican, or any other party, I think the most important thing is to not sit on your high horse about what party you’re in.” For Joey, the values are more important than elephant or donkey, red or blue, conservative or liberal.

While the election is definitely spooky, Blumhouse Productions decided to add to the scares by dropping eight new horror films on Amazon, including Joey’s new film, “The Lie.” “What initially attracted me to that role was that I liked that it was a Blumhouse movie but it wasn’t straight-up horror. It was a mental game,” she told me. Having watched the film the night prior, I would agree. The plot twist at the end left my jaw dropped and slightly uncomfortable with all that went down–in the best way. “Performance-wise I was excited to try and figure out how to make someone worth having empathy but also be the villain.”

As for keeping sane, Joey is settling down with her intuitions, not caring what people think, and listening to good music. “I am very eclectic with my taste. Right now I’m listening to the new Sufjan Stevens album, and this album called Lagoons by Tigers in the Sky, a lot of Sigur Rós. And then I sort of take it back, I’ve been listening to Steeler’s wheel a lot, a lil Frankie Valley in there, throw in some Billy Joel, I am all over the place.”

So are we Joey, so are we.
– Source

I’ve added a bunch of missing magazine scans and photo sessions from this year. That should bring the gallery up to date. Enjoy all the lovely new additions!

A few months ago, we reported Amazon Prime Video and Blumhouse were going to release eight genre movies that focus on diverse casts, female voices, and emerging filmmakers under the “Welcome to Blumhouse” banner. With the first of these films, Veena Sud’s The Lie, now streaming on the platform, I recently spoke to Joey King about being part of the project.

If you haven’t seen the trailers, The Lie follows a divorced couple (Peter Sarsgaard and Mireille Enos) as they try to protect their daughter (King) after she confesses to a horrible crime. As the couple deals with the ramifications of their daughter’s actions, they are forced to decide how far they’re willing to go to keep her safe and protected from the authorities.

During the interview, Joey King talked about talked about working with Veena Sud, how The Lie asks how far you’d be willing to go to protect someone, what it was like filming in the Toronto winter, her thoughts on seeing movies in a theater or at home, David Leitch’s Bullet Train, what’s she’s learned as a producer, and more. In addition, she teased what fans can look forward to in The Kissing Booth 3.

Finally, before getting to the interview, here’s an exclusive featurette on the characters in The Lie:

Collider: Were you prepared to have your Netflix Uglies project drop on the day you’re doing press?
JOEY KING: I mean, yes and no. I was kind of made aware it was going to drop, but I wasn’t really like, “Oh yeah, I know that’s going to drop.”

Got it, I won’t pressure you on that project. But jumping into why I get to talk to you with the film, how nervous were you to put the old videos of you in the movie when you were much younger?
KING: I think that was such a fun touch. And I love when people get to feel connected to a character and the fact that they were able to see footage of me when I was young in real life… I mean, I feel like it actually gives me a little bit more insight into who my character Kayla is.

One of the things that I really enjoy about movies is when they put you in a situation and you wonder, “What would you do if confronted with the same thing?” Can you sort of talk about the fact that everyone in the film is confronted with a choice, and what would they actually do?
KING: I think that’s what’s so interesting about this movie, it really does present the question how far would we go for the ones that you love, even if it was a big coverup of suspected murder. And something that’s so interesting about my character is, how far are you willing to let others go for you? Especially when you know you are telling quite a big lie.

Can you share a little bit about working with Veena Sud?
KING: Veena’s amazing. She’s so, so kind, but such a boss. I just love her so much. She was so much fun to work with and just so sweet and collaborative and I felt so safe in her arms. A character like Kayla is something that I was really excited and nervous about because I wanted to showcase her side that deserves empathy while also not giving away the ending. I mean, just working with Veena on that was such a treat.

I spoke to Peter earlier, and I wanted to specifically talk about that water scene with the bridge, because it looked like it was freezing cold when he had to jump into the water to look around. Can you share what filming that scene was like?
KING: Yeah. So you’re correct, the water was unbelievably cold, he was wearing a lot protective waters gear underneath his clothes. And when you’re kind of faced with such an uncomfortable situation, like going into freezing cold water in the middle of a Toronto winter, there’s nothing you can do but laugh about it. And Peter is so great, I mean, he was just cracking up the whole time trying to stay warm and trying to stay positive. Because at that point, if you don’t let yourself laugh about it, you’re just going to be even more miserable when you’re already freezing.

Completely, the movie is going to be coming out on Amazon, and you’ve also obviously worked with Netflix many times. You’re much younger than I am, and I’m curious if you have the same sort of need to see movies in a movie theater, or if you are just as comfortable watching stuff at home?
KING: So I think that since the pandemic started the absolute desire and need to go to the movie theater has just amped up for me, all I want to do is go to the movies, but I’m not going to, of course. But that’s all I want to do, I love a movie theater. I love just the experience of seeing a movie in theaters. But at the same time, we got to be safe, we got to adapt. And I’m trying not to look at necessarily adapting as a bad thing, I’m trying to look at it as a positive thing because we do have so much amazing things to watch right now. There’s so many things being produced, there’s so much being released, there’s definitely not a lack of choice. And so I’m very grateful for that, even if we do have to stay home and can’t go to a theater. I think that it sucks, but we got to adapt and we got to try and remain positive about it because we are lucky to still have choices.

I definitely want to ask you a few spoiler type things that would run after the release of the movie. Did you guess the ending when you were reading the script or were you as surprised as the audience when you got to those final pages?
KING: I was completely shocked, I’m just absolutely shocked when I got to the ending of the story. I couldn’t believe it. But I have to say, I love that it pulled the rug out from under me, I was not expecting that ending. I was just so focused on what was happening that I couldn’t have even guessed that that would have happened. And I hope audiences are as shocked as I was when I first read it.

I think they, one hundred percent, will be. Even if they somehow got away with murder, do you think that the family could ever get back to normal?
KING: That’s a great question. And I think I’m probably going to say no. I wouldn’t know personally, because I’ve never murdered anybody and then tried to go back to normal, but I have a feeling it would not be very easy to continue your life as if nothing ever happened.

Was it difficult for you to play the character’s truth without tipping your hand to the audience?
KING: Yes, that’s a great point and a great question, it was and it’s something that I wanted to really figure out how to do. I wanted to give her heart, give her reasoning for the audience’s care and love and this stuff, yet not give away the ending. And I think that something that’s so interesting about her is even when it’s revealed what has happened she’s still not getting away with it scot free. I mean, she’s pulled of this gargantuan lie and tried to keep it up, which is just so unforgivable. But at the same time you have to wonder why did she do it? Okay, well, her friend asked her to help her out, she wanted to spend time with her boyfriend, fine, sure. But the real reason is, her parents are going through this crazy adjustment, they’re getting divorced and she’s feeling a little neglected from them. So even if it’s negative attention, she just wants their attention. And I think that gets into why Kayla did what she did, maybe there is a little bit more empathy there. But at the same time, I mean, damn, she’s crazy.

If someone wants to go back and rewatch the movie, would they find any clues in your performance that we might not notice the first time?
KING: That is something that I wanted to incorporate in my performance. I wanted people to be able to go back and kind of be like, “Oh, did I miss something.” And so there are small things, there are small moments, there are small nuances, but I definitely wanted to play into the kind of confusion of it all. And so I think it will be awesome if people want to go back and watch and see if they can spot the clues.

From a performance perspective, is this the kind of role where you depend, I guess more heavily on your director to guide you through threading that needle?
KING: I think that this kind of role is one where, when you’re working with a director like Veena who is so trusting and wonderful, it’s less about relying on her and her relying on me more than it is about collaborating and finding the specific nuances that make this character what she is together, it’s just really nice.

I am a big fan of David Leitch and I know that you’ve signed on to do Bullet Train, what can you tease about the project? What excites you about it?
KING: Well, I am in the throes of preparation for the project right now and so many things excite me about the project. It is one of the bigger challenges I’ve ever taken on and it’s like nothing I’ve ever done before. And I cannot wait to tackle it and give this character the life that she deserves.

You’ve gotten into producing, you’ve been producing a lot recently. Talk a little bit about what you’ve learned over the last few years as a producer that you want to apply on future projects?
KING: I think one thing that you learn was how much work actually goes into each job on set. I mean, I’ve always had immense respect for the crew and for every producer on set and for everyone on set. It just kind of opened your eyes a lot about what goes into everyone’s job. And so just having the upmost respect and understanding of what really goes into making a movie every single day.

I am a big fan of David Leitch and I know that you’ve signed on to do Bullet Train, what can you tease about the project? What excites you about it?
KING: Well, I am in the throes of preparation for the project right now and so many things excite me about the project. It is one of the bigger challenges I’ve ever taken on and it’s like nothing I’ve ever done before. And I cannot wait to tackle it and give this character the life that she deserves.

You’ve gotten into producing, you’ve been producing a lot recently. Talk a little bit about what you’ve learned over the last few years as a producer that you want to apply on future projects?

I know that the Kissing Booth movies are incredibly popular on Netflix, and I know you filmed the second and third one back to back. For fans of that series, what can you tease about The Kissing Booth 3?
KING: Oh man, I know that we left Elle with a huge dilemma on her plate. She was making quite a big suspicion, and so in this film we can expect that decision to be a huge key throughout the movie. But also, I mean, pick the fun that we had in the second movie movie and amplify it by 10. We had even more fun on the third and it’s the best thing ever, it’s so much fun to watch.

You’ve been working consistently for a very, very long time. And I know you have stuff… What can you tease people about, for fans of yours, about what’s coming up after Bullet Train?
KING: I have a lot of things that are coming up after Bullet Train. It’s just with all the COVID stuff happening, I have no idea what is going to be happening first. So I’m just hoping that the world gets back to normal and that we can all get back to work. Our industry is going through a really tough moment right now and so I’m just hoping we can get everyone back to work, and their families and they’re all safe and sound, and employed.

My last thing for you, what have you been binge-watching during the pandemic? What shows have you loved?
KING: Right now, I am going through the entirety of Seinfeld, and I binged watched Search Party. I’m watching a lot of stuff honestly, but right now I’m going to say Seinfeld.

Is this your first time watching Seinfeld?
KING: All the way through, yes. But not the first time I’ve ever seen it.

I completely understand, the show is incredible, but I’m sure you’re experiencing that as you watch it.
KING: Yeah, it’s amazing.

Exactly. Hey, listen, thank you so much for giving me your time and congrats on the movie.
KING: Thank you so much.
– Source

Joey King On Starring In A Horror Film, Despite Being Afraid Of Them

Being a sulky teenager living through your parents’ divorce is a tale as old as time. It’s only when you let that inner rage allow you to push your best friend off a bridge to an icy demise is when things get interesting.

It’s the jumping off point in The Lie, the new psychological thriller from horror powerhouse Blumhouse Productions. Emmy-nominated actress Joey King brings teenage Kayla’s chilling inner workings to life, aided by her once happily married parents, played by Peter Sarsgaard, and Mireille Enos. What are the lengths parents will go to protect their child? Just about anything regardless of how sinister and inconceivable, it turns out.

Two years after debuting at TIFF, The Lie landed on Amazon Prime Video as part of an eight-film package of horror films, arriving just in time for some seasonal eeriness. Although not the typical campy, fun-house release we’ve come to expect from Blumhouse, The Lie brings a horror more rooted in possibility, however far-fetched it may be.

King found Kayla’s twisted story arc an intriguing look into the teenage mind. “I think it’s just really an interesting psychological observation of what being young, insecure and trusting can do to somebody,” she told NYLON over the phone during a walk around her Los Angeles neighborhood.

Kayla seems to have some sociopathic tendencies. What drew you to playing that sort of character?
I think what drew me to playing Kayla was the fact that she is quite a sweet girl, she’s got such a really good heart, but then gets sucked into the idea of trusting her friends so much that she would alter her and her family’s life because of it. And then I think that after that she just enjoys getting attention from her parents that she wanted so badly, even if it’s negative attention so that she’s willing to keep the lie going for as long as necessary. I think it’s just really an interesting psychological observation of what being young, insecure and trusting can do to somebody.

What did you do to kinda get into her headspace while filming?
Our cast was amazing, and we were able to rehearse together and talk about each shoot together. It was very nice to be able to get into character with these people that I love so much, but also these characters — they’re complex, they’re crazy, they’re wild. We still had a lot of fun on that shoot so there was no lack of laughs and dancing and good times happening, even though the subject matter was pretty dark.

What were some of these good times?
I mean just lots of times when we were hanging out together, me, Mireille, and Peter, we had so many scenes together so we would spend lot of time together when we were on set and we just enjoyed each other’s company so much. Our director Veena [Sud] was also so wonderful, it was just a set full of love and welfare really.

This isn’t your typical Blumhouse horror film. Do you consider yourself a horror fan by any means?
I do appreciate horror. I am also very scared of horror, so I don’t watch a lot of horror films, but one thing that I do love about this character and this story is that it isn’t your straight up psychological thriller, but it’s also like any person’s worst nightmare and every parent’s worst nightmare too. It’s something that I feel like is one of those types of horror movies or thrillers that tap into something that could happen to you and to your kid, and it’s really frightening.

Even though you’re scared of horror, what horror remake would you star in if given the chance?
I did The Conjuring, that was pretty awesome. I feel like something along those lines but you know what I would wanna do? Here’s this really wacky, happy horror movie from years and years ago called The Abominable Dr. Phibes and one of the funniest stories I’ve ever seen, and I would love to do a remake of that movie.

You just need some campiness and some comedy mixed in.
Exactly. I definitely tried with my fair share of horror films and I love them, but I think if I were to jump into that genre, I wanna maybe remake one of the favorites that are oldies that were great for the time that hold up on the scare factor.

What else is on the horizon for you?
I’m about to hopefully start filming my film, Bullet Train very soon, which I’m super excited about. Honestly, just whatever happens, I don’t know because of COVID [during] production. But next year you can expect some excitement with The Kissing Booth 3 release.

How has the fanfare surrounding The Kissing Booth felt?
It’s insane and exciting. I mean, from the time the first film that came out and we had no idea what a success would be. The reaction after that has just been so cool to see how many people are talking about our movie and how many people see our movie. It’s just like, wow. So the second movie release was just unbelievably exciting. It’s been such a long time coming and I had so much fun making it and now I just cannot wait for that third one to come out.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
– Source

Joey was on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Check out some clips.

Actress Joey King says if she’s ever met Gypsy Rose Blanchard and says if she is still in contact with Selena Gomez since co-starring with her in “Ramona and Beezus.”

Actress Joey King says she agrees that “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” should have ended earlier, but notes she never watched it during “1,2, Agree” with singer Sam Smith.

During Clubhouse Quickie, Andy Cohen asks actress Joey King for her guilty pleasure junk food and Sam Smith says Mary J. Blige has been their favorite musical collaboration.

During the After Show, actress Joey King and singer Sam Smith play a gamelet where they say what famous songs should be covered by other artists including “WAP.”

McG, who directed ‘Babysitter’ for the streamer, will helm.

After partnering on ultra-popular high school rom-com franchise The Kissing Booth, Joey King and Netflix are reteaming for the feature adaptation of popular young adult novel Uglies.

McG, who directed Babysitter for the streamer, will direct the feature that is based on Scott Westerfeld’s novel, which set in a dystopic world where cosmetic surgery is administered to everyone at the age of 16 to make them “pretty.”

Krista Vernoff will pen the screenplay.

John Davis and Jordan Davis will produce for Davis Entertainment Company, along with Robyn Mesinger for Anonymous Content, Dan Spilo for Industry Entertainment and McG and Mary Viola for Wonderland. King will executive produce the project, along with Jamie King and Westerfeld.

King, repped by UTA, Industry and Hirsch Wallerstein, will next be seen in Blumhouse’s The Lie opposite Peter Sarsgaard, which is set to debut on Amazon, and is set to co-star opposite Brad Pitt in Sony’s Bullet Train.
– Source