Mother is mothering: Anne Hathaway channels inspiration from Taylor Swift in A24’s latest film about the darker side of pop stardom.

A24’s new psychological thriller Mother Mary casts Anne Hathaway as a larger-than-life pop star, and the Taylor Swift parallels aren’t accidental. Director David Lowery revealed Hathaway immersed herself in studying Swift’s pop artistry, including how she performs and carries herself on stage. She even caught the Eras Tour in Germany during filming, later gushing that Swift is “so magical.”

Courtesy of A24

The titular character pulls from a mix of icons, including Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, yet Swift’s influence feels the most pronounced. Lowery has said he looked beyond film, citing both Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour as key inspirations. She may not look or even sound like Taylor Swift, but the comeback-hungry pop star at the centre of the film is definitely Swift-coded.

“Her Reputation concert film is one of the best concert films ever. It’s truly phenomenal. And for our concert sequences we looked at that repeatedly. […] You would not believe the amount of time we were talking about Taylor.”

Lowery explained in an interview with Empire.

“I definitely brought a lot of Taylor Swift to the table in terms of who Mother Mary was. I would often be like, ‘Imagine Taylor Swift in ten or 15 years – that’s sort of who this character could be’.”

Courtesy of A24

Mother Mary tells the story of a pop star chasing a comeback and reconnecting with her former costume designer, but beneath it all, something unsettling is brewing – long-buried trauma threatening to crack open. The cast is led by Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, with Hunter Schafer, FKA Twigs, Athena Frizzell, Kaia Gerber and others in supporting roles.

Mother Mary is scheduled to be released in Thailand on 7 May. Get ready to dive into the darker, more disquieting side of pop stardom – Swifties are especially in for a treat.