Why ‘Babygirl’s’ director Halina Reijn stands by controversial age gap

Halina Reijn has spoken out in defense of Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson’s 29-year age difference.

In a recent interview with W Magazine on December 25, the 49-year-old film director talked about casting for her latest release Babygirl, which has garnered positive reviews from critics and audiences. 

When discussing age gaps in recent films like The Idea of You, she remarked, "If we see a movie where the male actor is the same age as the female actor, we find that odd."

"Which is insane. It should completely be normalized that the age gaps switch and that women have different relationships," she continued. 

Halina further stated that they should not be confined to society’s old expectations, adding that they have internalized the patriarchy, and it’s important, now more than ever, to break free from it no matter how challenging it may be. 

She shared the process that went behind casting Nicole and Harris in the erotic thriller, revealing the 57-year-old actress had reached out herself.

The filmmaker explained that The Perfect Couple actress had demanded to be cast in it after reading the initial draft, stating she wanted to fully embrace the role without changing anything. 

The Dutch actress told the magazine that she woke up in disbelief the next day because she couldn’t believe she had one of the best actresses on board.

She also mentioned that finding a young man who could match the Australian actress’ skill was a difficult, but after seeing the 28-year-old English actor in Triangle of Sadness, Halina knew she had found the perfect actor to fit the role.