American comedy film Anorawill finally be available for digital purchase starting December 17, 2024. Directed by Sean Baker(The Florida Project), Anora stars Mikey Madison(Scream) as Ani, a young sex worker whose life is turned upside down when she marries billionaire heir Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn). The film originally premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2024, where it won the Palme d’Or. The film also earned a 10-minute standing ovation at the end of its screening. This was followed by a successful theatrical release on October 18, 2024.
With a$6 million budget, Anora’s record-breaking theatrical success earned the film $28.6 million worldwide.Anora became the highest opening weekend per-screen average of 2024 and the second-highest post-pandemic, just behind Wes Anderson’s Sci-fi comedyAsteroid City. The comedy-drama has received critical acclaim for its storyline and has becomeBaker’s highest-grossing film.
Aside from Madison and Eydelshteyn, the film also stars Yura Borisov, Karren Karaguilan, and Bache Tovmasyan in prominent roles. During the Cannes Press conference for the film back in May 2023, Baker shared that he wanted to remove the stigma that is attached to sex work, as reported by Variety. The director shared that he became friends with many sex workers while working on the 2012 film Starlet, and that’s where he got the inspiration for Anora.
Sean Barker Responds to the Similarities Between ‘Anora’ and ‘Pretty Woman’
Anora is a modern-day Cinderella story where an exotic dancer marries the son of a Russian Oligarch, only to find herself being hunted by his parents’ henchmen to have the marriage annulled. During an interview with IndieWire, the director responded to everyone who has been comparing his film to Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman (1990). According to Baker, he didn’t even realize there were common themes in both films until he was halfway through the production of Anora.
The director shared that he hadn’t watched the Julie Roberts starrer in a long time and decided not to revisit it until Anora had wrapped up filming. In his exact words: “I didn’t want to be influenced by it.” The director added that he was still waiting for the dust to settle from his own film before he watched Pretty Woman again.
As far as the authenticity of Anora is concerned, Baker shared that he consulted with sex worker Andrea Werhun. The director shared that since he has never been part of that world, he believed that it was important to bring in someone with enough experience to step in wherever necessary. Baker acknowledged that it was important for him to represent sex workers responsibly and respectfully, and Werhun helped him in the process. He added that Werhun also consulted with Maddison and helped her bring Ani to life as authentically as possible.
NEON is set to release Anora on VOD and digital platforms including Prime, Apple TV, and VUDU on December 17, 2024.
Anora follows a young sex worker from Brooklyn who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch, igniting a potential fairy tale. Upon learning of the union, his influential parents travel to New York to annul the marriage, jeopardizing her unexpected chance at a new beginning.
Release Date October 18, 2024
Director Sean Baker
Cast Mikey Madison , Mark Eydelshteyn , Karren Karagulian , Yuriy Borisov , Vache Tovmasyan , Ivy Wolk , Luna Sofía Miranda , Ross Brodar , Lindsey Normington , Darya Ekamasova , Emily Weider , Alena Gurevich , Masha Zhak , Paul Weissman , Charlton Lamar , Aleksey Serebryakov , Ella Rubin , Vincent Radwinsky , Michael Sergio , Brittney Rodriguez , Sophia Carnabuci , Anton Bitter , Zoë Vnak
Runtime 139 Minutes
Main Genre Comedy
Character(s) Anora , Ivan , Toros , Igor , Garnick , Crystal , Lulu , Security Guard , Diamond , Galina , Nikki , Clara , Tatiana's Hostess , Nick , Court Security , Nikolay , Vera , Jimmy , Judge , Dawn , Jenny , Tom , Rachel
Image via NEON
English (US) ·