Zoe Kravitz Says ‘High Fidelity’ Cancellation Was a “Big Mistake”

Zoë Kravitz is looking back on the cancellation of her Hulu series High Fidelity and reflecting on taking the iconic role of Catwoman.

In a March cover story for Elle, the actress spoke further on the cancellation of the 2020 Hulu series, in which Kravitz both starred and was one of the executive producers and writers. After it was announced the series would not be continuing after one season, Kravitz called out the streamer in an Instagram thread at the time for its lack of diversity. “It’s cool. At least hulu has a ton of other shows starring women of color we can watch. oh wait,” she wrote at the time.

When reflecting further on the series’ cancellation, Kravitz calls the decision a “big mistake,” adding, “They didn’t realize what that show was and what it could do,” Kravitz told Elle. “The amount of letters, DMs, people on the street, and women that look like us — like, that love for the show, it meant something to people. It was a big mistake.”

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When Kravitz first spoke out about the cancellation, the actress received support from stars including Lena Waithe, who wrote on Instagram at the time, “NOOOOOOO!!! I rarely find shows that genuinely impress me. This one did. I told you how much I loved this show. And I still do. This one definitely deserved another season.”

Kravitz has since gone on to score the iconic role as Selina Kyle/Catwoman opposite Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. After first hearing about the part in 2019, Kravitz told Elle that she immediately reminded herself to not “get excited.” She said, “One thing I’ve had to learn from an early age is when you get attached, it’s hard, and most of the time, you don’t get the part. So my instinct is always to say, ‘It’s not mine.'”

She recalled feeling nervous during the audition, which consisted of Reeves giving her a motorcycle helmet and instructing the actress to “Walk in, take it off, and start the scene.” She said, “I was like, ‘This is how I don’t get the part.’ I don’t get the part because the helmet gets stuck on my head, and I don’t look cool. I’ll get my lines, but I will fuck up this helmet moment.”

Kravitz said playing a part that’s been previously portrayed by stars Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry and Anne Hathaway was “crazy” and also acknowledged that “the fandom is wild.” She recalled, “When the announcement came out, I got more phone calls than I’d gotten on any birthday.”

Taking on the role called for intense preparation, with the actress working out for three hours after eight-hour days on set. She said, “Obviously, you want to look good in a catsuit, but I wanted it to be realistic that I’m able to do anything in this film. So I had to be strong. I got stronger than I’ve ever been. That felt good, to see what I was capable of. I felt confident — and I could kick some ass.”

The Batman, which is set to release March 4, runs two hours and 55 minutes, making it the longest running time of any solo Batman film and one of the longest for a theatrical superhero movie.

In addition to The Batman, Kravitz is set to make her directorial debut with Pussy Island, starring Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum, with whom Kravitz has been rumored to be romantically linked. Kravitz described the MGM-acquired film, which will center on a waitress setting her eyes on a mysterious tech mogul, as one originally inspired by “the lack of conversation around the way women are treated specifically in the entertainment industry.” However, since the film was something she began writing “pre–#MeToo, pre–Harvey [Weinstein],” the script has “changed a lot” over time.

“It became more about a power struggle and what that power struggle means. I rewrote it a million times. Now we’re like, ‘Holy shit. We’re doing this,'” she said.

Kravitz said she has her “moments of being nervous” with stepping into the director role, but rather than being focused on whether she’s doing a good job, she’s thinking, “What is my intention?” Of casting Tatum, Kravitz said, “Looking at his work and hearing him speak about Magic Mike and the live show, I’m like, I think he’s a feminist. You need to be so far from who this is, where it’s not scary. And I don’t think we’ve ever seen him play someone dark. I’m excited to see him do that.”