Olivia Wilde's 'I Want Your Sex' Character Is Madonna Meets Mapplethorpe, Director Says

Director Gregg Araki discussed the conception of Olivia Wilde’s character in his upcoming film I Want Your Sex in an interview with IndieWire. Wilde plays Erika Tracy, an erotically charged artist who enters a complicated relationship with her younger assistant, Elliot, played by Cooper Hoffman.

Araki’s initial vision for the character was a specific pop-culture mashup. “She’s so passionate, and she’s so confident, and I think that’s what attracts the Elliot character to her, her larger-than-life presence,” Araki said. He described his original conception of the character as “Madonna meets Robert Mapplethorpe.”

How did the #MeToo movement change the film?

Araki revealed that the script underwent a significant change following the #MeToo movement. The artist character was originally a man with a female assistant. “I didn’t really want to see a woman getting dragged around by the hair, even in a consensual relationship,” Araki told IndieWire. He found reversing the roles to feature a woman in the dominant position more interesting and a way to differentiate the film from similar stories.

What does the director hope audiences take away?

The film is designed to be entertaining while provoking discussion. “I’m not interested in lecturing anybody, but I really want to open that conversation,” Araki said. He hopes people will leave the theater and argue about the characters' motivations and the film's themes of sex, power, and art.

Araki knew casting was critical for the fearless role of Erika. He recalled telling Wilde in their first meeting that the actor “just can’t give a fuck about it,” and said she fully embraced the challenge. I Want Your Sex opens in theaters on July 31, 2026, from Magnolia Pictures.