Zoë Kravitz and Naomi Ackie 'barely survived' Blink Twice shoot

Zoë Kravitz and Naomi Ackie "barely survived" the arduous production of Kravitz's directorial debut Blink Twice.

The British actress stars as cocktail waitress Frida, who is invited to the private island of a wealthy tech mogul, in the 2024 thriller, which Kravitz co-wrote and directed.

In a joint interview for ELLE, Kravitz praised her leading lady for getting her through the shoot in Mexico during its most trying moments.

"Casting is a bit like going on dates - like, 'Are you the love of my life?' Then I met you and it was so clear," The Batman actress recalled. "(There'd be shoots where) it was five in the morning, 100 degrees, mosquitoes everywhere, you haven't slept or eaten, and I'm making you put your face in dirt and dragging you around. I actually don't know how we survived. I was hanging on by a thread and you just showed up with a smile on your face every day."

While the production was difficult at times, Ackie enjoyed the experience because she became friends with Kravitz and they drank "so much mezcal" off-duty.

"I remember saying on set how rare it is for women to create the kind of friendships that male directors and actors have," she explained. "This was a job where I felt like I was a friend of the director. Before, it always felt like I was the child - like, 'Oh my God, please love me! Am I doing a good job?!' It was good times."

Since the release of Blink Twice, Kravitz has starred in Darren Aronofsky's crime caper Caught Stealing and as a fictional version of herself in the comedy series The Studio.

Meanwhile, Ackie has appeared in three films this year - Mickey 17, Sorry, Baby and The Thursday Murder Club.