From Madame Bovary director Sophie Barthes comes a star of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival: The Pod Generation. In this science fiction film, the future is closer than further away. Society depicted in this film resembles the present in that AI is ever-present, making life seemingly more convenient. Unfortunately, with these conveniences come some trouble. For example, specialists like therapists are AI bots instead of real people, who advocate for more AI. Additionally, the way humans procreate is shifting from a natural pregnancy to using an incubator capable of growing a child. These incubators are called pods and are intended to bring parents closer together to experience pregnancy with the assistance of tech.
The main couple in The Pod Generation are Rachel and Alvy Novy. Rachel is portrayed by Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke. Her husband, Alvy, portrayed by Doctor Strange’s Chiwetel Ejiofor, is hesitant to trust AI. Clarke and Ejiofor are joined by Rosalie Craig, who is best known for her role as Virginia in 1899. Kathryn Hunter portrays The Philosopher, but has been on Andor as Eedy Karn. With The Pod Generation now in select theaters, here's your cast and character guide.
Emilia Clarke as Rachel Novy
Even without her acclaim to various franchises including Star Wars and Marvel, Emilia Clarke remains a powerhouse in her post-Game of Thrones career. She has lent her voice to the animated feature, The Amazing Maurice, and starred in Last Christmas with Michelle Yeoh and Emma Thompson.
In The Pod Generation, Clarke portrays Rachel Novy. For most of her adult life, Rachel has been climbing the corporate ladder. Since AI is deeply integrated into everyone's lives, she is more than willing to take the advice of her AI therapist and begin a family using AI.
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Alvy Novy
BAFTA-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor has had quite the career. He has played the villain, anti-hero, and hero effortlessly. Ejiofor has an ethereal presence regardless of the character he is portraying. Aside from the Disney franchises Ejiofor has stared in, he has worked with Denzel Washington in American Gangster and Inside Man. He also stared in Serenity, the Firefly spin-off film.
In The Pod Generation, Ejiofor portrays Alvy, a botanist and nature enthusiast. Unlike his wife who is eager to embrace AI, Alvy is hesitant to trust AI with creating human life.
Rosalie Craig as Linda Wozcheck
Though her name isn't as recognized as her co-stars, Rosalie Craig has worked with some well-recognized actors in her career. Her most recent work as Virginia on 1899 marks her most prominent role. Craig has worked with Siena Miller on Anatomy of a Scandal and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen's Gambit. She has even lent her voice to a couple animated projects including Sherlock Gnomes and Centaurworld.
Craig's character in The Pod Generation is named Linda Wozcheck. As the director of The Womb Center, it might be safe to assume she may be an antagonist or a fall-person if the company turns out to be nefarious.
Kathryn Hunter as The Philosopher
Most recognized from her role in the Harry Potter franchise as Mrs. Figg, Kathryn Hunter has been in other franchises. She has portrayed Eedy, Syril's mother, in Disney+'s Andor Season 1. Hunter has also been in several filmed productions of the Shakespeare plays A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tragedy of Macbeth.
She will be portraying The Philosopher in The Pod Generation. With a distinct voice like Hunter's, it wouldn't be surprising if her role in this film is going to be a prophetic rather than a support for the AI lovers.
Jean-Marc Barr as The Founder
Prominent French film actor Jean-Marc Barr is well known for his roles in The Plague, The Big Blue, and L'échappée belle. He has also been prolific philosophers Niccolò Machiavelli and Jack Kerouac. Barr will be portraying The Founder in The Pod Generation. Considering his varied and prominent roles, Barr as The Founder is a perfect casting.
Vinette Robinson as Alice
As one of the most recognizable faces of the BBC, Vinette Robinson is an excitable casting choice. She is most well known for her role as Sergeant Sally Donovan in the hit thriller Sherlock. Robinson has also portrayed Rosa Parks in Doctor Who and Nicola in The A Word. Currently, she stars in Six Four, a BBC thriller drama. She will be portraying Alice in The Pod Generation, Rachel's best friend, who is ambivalent about The Womb Centers initiative.
Aslin Farrell as HR Director Folio
Newcomer Aslin Farrell has an uncredited role in Ararat, a film depicting the Armenian Genocide. According to Middle East Eye, the genocide began in 1894, but due to controversies surrounding the term "genocide," it was only recently recognized as one by the U.S. government. Farrell will be portraying HR Director Folio in The Pod Generation.