"But with the Oscars this year you saw that Jane Campion was one of so few female directors to be recognised. "Both of us had been very lucky to work with a lot of female directors and for me, working with Sofia Coppola when I was 11 made such an impression – seeing that big set being led by a woman," she remembers. One of their most pressing concerns in this respect is the foregrounding of female talent, in narratives as well as in front of and behind the cameras. But I also think it's also about being able to produce stories that we can't act in and shed light on things that we couldn't necessarily play." "The people we’ve worked with over the years, especially women, the advice they've always given is: ‘Just go out there and produce your own stuff and find your own stories.’ So, now that we're able to have this company, acquire material and, yes, pick parts for ourselves that we would like too. "It’s something that Dakota and I have talked about for a long time," she says. The real story behind 'The Girl from Plainville' Yes, she has to build her strength, but she makes mistakes, she’s messy, and she's not always right." "She is so rich and so complicated and not just in the standard tone of ‘a strong female character’. "I don't take it lightly how special it is for a character like this to come along, especially at my age," she admits.
The chance to play the iconic Catherine the Great – albeit a highly stylised version – was another unmissable draw for Fanning. Every script I read now has to compare to one of Tony’s. The comedic element was a challenge – I hadn't flexed that muscle before – but I just wanted to live in that tone he created.
"I actually read the script before The Favourite even came out, so I had nothing to compare the humour to, but it’s very much the same tone and sensibility. "It was the writing that drew me in, because it's so rare, honestly, to read something that really is this well written," she says. The Great marked, not only her first ever predominantly comic role, but her first ever foray into television.