Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman‘s movie, Miller’s Girl, which follows a student-teacher romance, already has people talking and not all of the discussions are positive.
In the film, Ortega plays a promising high school student named Cairo who initially forms a friendly connection with her English teacher Jonathan Miller (Freeman). When he rejects her advances, however, tension starts to build and Cairo turns the tables on her professor.
News of Ortega’s new project came weeks after multiple outlets confirmed her exit from the Scream franchise. Ortega played Tara Carpenter since the fifth film, which was released in 2022. Due to her filming schedule for season 2 of Netflix’s Wednesday, however, Ortega pulled out ahead of the seventh installment.
Before a trailer was released for Miller’s Girl, fans were already questioning the movie’s messaging. There were initial concerns that Miller’s Girl would romanticize the student-teacher romance.
Keep scrolling for everything we know about Miller’s Girl so far:
When Will ‘Miller’s Girl’ Be Released?
Miller’s Girl is set to be released in theaters January 26, 2024.
Who Else Is Involved in ‘Miller’s Girl’?
The upcoming movie is written and directed by Jade Halley Bartlett and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. In addition to Ortega and Freeman, Miller’s Girl also stars Dagmara Domińczyk, Bashir Salahuddin and Gideon Adlon.
What Is the Official Plot for ‘Miller’s Girl’?
According to the official synopsis, “A talented young writer embarks on a creative odyssey when her teacher assigns a project that entangles them both in an increasingly complex web. As lines blur and their lives intertwine, professor and protégé must confront their darkest selves while straining to preserve their individual sense of purpose and the things they hold most dear.”
What Does the Trailer Reveal?
In the sneak peek, which was released in December 2023, Ortega’s character plays a creative writing student who starts to show interest in her teacher. Freeman’s character, meanwhile, offers his student special treatment, which he later attempts to walk back when he realizes how unprofessional it is.
Cairo doesn’t take rejection well and seemingly starts to claim that her teacher took advantage of her.
How Have Fans Reacted So Far?
When a still from the film was released, fans were quick to question how Miller’s Girl might romanticize a romance between an underage girl and her high school teacher.
Following the trailer’s release, viewers weren’t thrilled at the idea that Miller’s Girl pushes a narrative where a woman lies about being assaulted.
Intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona later defended a sex scene between Ortega and Freeman’s characters, telling the Daily Mail, “There [were] many, many people throughout this process engaging with [Jenna] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do.”
She added: “Part of my job too is supporting her decisions. I adapt to whatever is the comfort level of my actors, especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between the actors. I’m hyper aware of both of my talent and making sure that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed. And, again, making sure — especially with someone who’s significantly younger — that they are giving continuous consent.”
