LOS ANGELES — The much-anticipated new science fiction thriller “Divinity,” featuring Emily Willis in her mainstream feature debut, will finally premiere in theaters next month.
Written and directed by Eddie Alcazar and executive produced by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, the film also stars Scott Bakula, Stephen Dorff, Bella Thorne, Moises Arias, Jason Genao and Karrueche Tran.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and will be released theatrically in the U.S. on Oct. 13 in selected cities before expanding nationwide in November.
Speaking exclusively to XBIZ about her experience making “Divinity,” Willis credits the project with inspiring her to continue pursuing mainstream acting projects.
“It’s a very artistic movie,” says Willis, sharing her first impression of the film. “It’s definitely an ‘arthouse film’ and it could become a cult classic. It’s edgy and it’s mysterious — somewhere between sci-fi and horror. It really is a trip.”
She also offers glowing praise for director Alcazar.
“Eddie is incredibly great at making amazing art,” Willis enthuses. “Every shot is an awe-inspiring vision. It really made me fall in love with both film and the sci-fi and horror genre. Eddie was the ideal person to work with for my debut — he has a very unique vision. It’s my first big film — and it’s actually brilliant. I’m so happy that I was a part of it.”
Willis shot her scenes without ever seeing the complete script, knowing only her own part. She only realized the full scope of the story once she saw the film at Sundance, months after wrapping her work on the project.
“I thought my character was another character’s wife when we shot my scenes,” she says. “But when I saw the final edit, I realized there was much more to it. Now I know my character was a very special one in the context of the movie, someone who may not be what she seems. It added to the mystery of the whole experience.”
One of the last scenes Willis shot for “Divinity” placed her alongside Thorne, in a group of several other women who were being guided into “different states of being.”
“I got to do some great acting scenes,” she says. “I’m really, really happy about that. There was a sex scene — I originally auditioned because they wanted somebody that was open-minded in general, and open to being sexual on camera. I sent in my audition and the casting agent liked it immediately. Then I did an in-person audition, and we immediately started shooting, maybe a week after that!”
Willis shares that her scenes with Dorff, a Hollywood veteran from an early age, helped her be comfortable on her first major set.
“Stephen was very welcoming, and very professional and kind,” she reveals. “Nobody made me feel as if I didn’t belong there because I was a porn star.”
A Mysterious Arthouse Thriller
According to the official description of “Divinity,” the film tells the story of “two mysterious brothers, who abduct a mogul during his quest for immortality, while a seductive woman helps them launch a journey of self-discovery.”
When asked for details about the plot, Willis laughs and makes an “I don’t want to get in trouble” face.
“I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say without giving too much away!” she says. “It takes place in an otherworldly space — we can’t even say too much about where we shot it. There’s a lot of chaos in it. Everybody in the film is on a quest for ‘divinity,’ which is this stuff that changes you so you can live forever, and everyone’s kind of fighting to figure out who is on divinity and how it all works.”
As “Divinity” nears its premiere date, Willis continues to pursue her acting career, while developing a successful influencer clothing line, EmFatale.
Willis says she has always loved acting, but didn’t see it as a real possibility while she was pursuing her adult career, which included the rare achievement of being named XBIZ Female Performer of the Year two years in a row.
“Then I booked ‘Divinity’ and my dream came true,” she says. “It was 100% the kind of work I love to do.”
For more about “Divinity,” visit the film’s official website.
