“World class”: Oscar-winning director Emerald Fennell shares her admiration for Margot Robbie
After finding her start on Aussie TV staple Neighbours, Margot Robbie has achieved the impressive feat of breaking free from the soap opera world and finding a new home in Hollywood. In the span of just over a decade, she has become one of the biggest and brightest stars in contemporary cinema, starring in big-budget blockbusters and Academy Award winners alike.
In between now-iconic performances in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Robbie also discovered a love for a different part of the film industry: production. Back in 2014, she set up a production company called LuckyChap Entertainment with her soon-to-be husband, Tom Ackerley.
Robbie made her first venture into producing with LuckyChap in 2017 with I, Tonya, which simultaneously showcased her talents in front of and behind the camera. She starred in the film as failed figure skater Tonya Harding, stepping into the character’s skates with a Portland accent and a punky attitude, but she also helped to make the film happen behind the scenes.
Since then, Robbie has focused her efforts on producing and promoting stories focused on, and often directed by, women. LuckyChap produced Birds of Prey for the DCEU in 2020, brought us the cultural phenomenon that was Barbie last summer and has worked on a string of releases by relative newcomer Emerald Fennell, who harbours a particular admiration for Robbie’s work.
During a conversation with Filmmaker Magazine, the Saltburn director described Robbie as “just an exceptionally brilliant person, so wise” and noted that she gives “brilliant notes”. She also spoke about her respect for LuckyChap as a production company, suggesting that they “want to make interesting and surprising stuff; they know that’s what people are looking for.”
Fennell clearly aligns herself with LuckyChap’s thematic focuses – both of her directorial offerings thus far have been produced by the company. The collaborative relationship between Robbie and Fennell began in 2020 with Promising Young Woman, which marked one of the earliest films to be released by LuckyChap and set into motion their female-led focus.
Just a couple of years later, Fennell returned to LuckyChap to produce her divisive dark comedy Saltburn last year. Starring some of the biggest up-and-coming actors of the moment in Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, the film presented a gory, gothic and arguably underdeveloped take on class criticism, saved by gorgeous cinematography and costuming.
Along the way, Fennell found a real admiration not just for LuckyChap, but for Robbie’s talents across the industry. “I think Margot is as talented a producer as she is an actress,” the director enthused, “which is saying something because she is word class at both.” With Academy Award nominations to her name for both her performances and production credits, Robbie has certainly earned Fennell’s praise.
It doesn’t seem like Robbie’s success in either realm will be slowing down anytime soon. She’s currently shooting opposite Colin Farrell for Kogonada’s new film, who previously found favour with Letterboxd users and indie film fans with Columbus. Meanwhile, LuckyChap has a whole host of exciting upcoming releases ranging from a live-action take on The Sims to Yorgos Lanthimos’ adaptation of My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
In her acting career and in a producer setting, Robbie seems to have found the perfect balance of blockbusters and more quaint offerings, securing herself as one of the best in the business.
