Anya Taylor-Joy has made her debut as an executive producer on the new Apple TV+ thriller "Lucky," where she also stars as the titular con woman. Creator Jonathan Tropper praised Taylor-Joy's active involvement behind the scenes, noting her particular focus on emphasizing the "loneliness" and "isolation" of her character.
"My first talks were with Anya," Tropper told Page Six, indicating Taylor-Joy was attached to the project before his involvement. While Taylor-Joy concentrated on the character's emotional depth, Tropper contributed the "grit" and "propulsive" nature of the plot.
The limited series, now streaming on Apple TV+, is based on a novel of the same name and produced by Reese Witherspoon. The story follows Lucky, a con woman on the run from a mob boss and an FBI agent after a botched heist. The character's sense of isolation is rooted in her upbringing, having moved frequently with her criminal father and later feeling abandoned by her husband.
Tropper explained that the show aims to explore characters who are "victims of their circumstance," rather than outright villains. He highlighted how actress Annette Bening, who plays mob boss Priscilla, brings a crucial humanity to her role, preventing the character from being perceived as purely antagonistic. Similarly, Lucky's father, played by Timothy Olyphant, is not depicted as a villain but as someone shaped by his environment.
"Lucky" features a new song from Fiona Apple titled "Horns of the Bull" for its opening credits, a rare musical contribution from the artist in recent years. The inclusion of Apple's song was a collaborative effort, with Tropper and co-showrunner Cassie Pappas, whose wife is Apple's drummer, carefully crafting the opening sequence to engage viewers.
Taylor-Joy's previous acting credits include "The Queen's Gambit," "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," "The Witch," and "The Menu," with an upcoming role in "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum."