Before finding love with one another, Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum were just friends, working together creatively on her directorial debut, Blink Twice. However, as their romance blossomed, their creative efforts followed suit.
In the two years since filming kicked off, the pair have gone public with their romance and subsequently gotten engaged.
On Thursday, they walked the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere for the psychological thriller, and they each spoke with ET’s Cassie DiLaura about what it was like working together.
“I think there is so much trust there,” Kravitz, 35, explained, “and you’re able to go to places that maybe you couldn’t go with someone that you maybe don’t know as well.”
“So it was a really beautiful experience to work together creatively,” she added.
For Tatum, 44, getting the chance to act under the direction of the woman he loves, and getting to collaborate together, was a relationship-cementing experience.
“It was really interesting, because we started as friends just working on a project that we both really believe in,” Tatum said. “When things start in that creative place… you just respect each other’s point of view, you respect each other’s mind, each others’ experience in life.”
“I now don’t know what I would do creating without her,” he added. “Everybody was like, ‘You sure you want to go create with your partner?’ But I actually suggest that to almost everyone now, ’cause you really get to know who that person is and what they are to you, and who they are to you, when you’re in the trenches.”
“You go, ‘Alright, I need to have your perspective right now. Tell me tell me what to do, tell me how to do it. Tell me what I don’t know and what I’m not seeing,'” he added.
Kravitz and Tatum first sparked dating rumors in August 2021. ET learned in late October 2023 that the 21 Jump Street star and the Batman actress had gotten engaged.
Kravitz’s romance with Tatum is her first since her public split from ex-husband Karl Glusman. The two ended their relationship after 18 months of marriage in 2021.
Tatum was previously married to his Step Up co-star, Jenna Dewan, from 2009 to 2019, and they share daughter Everly, 11.
Blink Twice marks Kravitz’ directorial debut, and the actress-turned-filmmaker told ET on Thursday that she was still processing the fact that her movie would soon be hitting theaters.
“I feel so many things. It’s been a 7-year journey,” Kravitz said. “I don’t think I even understand what’s happening right now.”
Blink Twice, written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, stars Naomi Ackie as Frida, a cocktail waitress tired of being overlooked who gets invited to billionaire tech mogul Slater King’s (Tatum) private island for what seems like a nonstop luxurious party. King is notorious for throwing long, lavish parties on his private island and Frida drags along her friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), to join in on the lavish festivities.
But Frida soon finds out that paradise isn’t all that it seems after Jess goes missing, and none of the other partying vacationers seem to care — or even remember that Jess was there despite meeting her days earlier. The dark drama soon becomes a literal fight for survival.
The film also stars Simon Rex, Christian Slater, Geena Davis, Haley Joel Osment and Kyle MacLachlan.
Blink Twice hits theaters Aug. 23.
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