For as idiosyncratic (and demented) as his films tend to be, Yorgos Lanthimos is a surprisingly prolific director. While audiences are still recovering from his latest effort, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Lanthimos is already set to deliver his next film: The Favourite. An English period piece (obviously, with that spelling) starring Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman (The Lobster), The Favourite will officially hit theaters this awards season.

Fox Searchlight has revealed the first full plot synopsis for The Favourite — the distribution rights to which were acquired before Lanthimos even began production:

Fox Searchlight
Fox Searchlight
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And here’s the text version, if you struggled to read it above:

Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfill her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.

Pineapples! Duck racing! Rabbits? Sure! I guess we’ll find out soon enough what an Oscar-season period drama directed by Yorgos Lanthimos looks like — and it sounds every bit as strange as you might imagine.

Curiously, The Favourite marks only the second time that Lanthimos has directed a feature he didn’t write; this one is based on a screenplay by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult and Mark Gatiss, and hits theaters on November 23.

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