WOMAN OF THE HOUR Trailer 2 (2024) Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto

WOMAN OF THE HOUR Trailer 2 (2024) Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto

WOMAN OF THE HOUR Trailer 2 (2024) Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto
© 2024 - Netflix

"Bachelor Number 2 - what are girls for?" "Why does this feel like a trap?" Netflix has debuted the main official trailer for Woman of the Hour, marking the directorial debut of beloved actor Anna Kendrick. Netflix will launch this film streaming later in October, though it's also getting a theatrical release in other countries - we posted the Canadian trailer last month. This modern serial killer thriller initially premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival a whole year ago. Based on an actually true story (!!), Rodney Alcala was a killer in the midst of a killing spree when he brazenly took part in, and won a date on, the popular TV game show "The Dating Game." Kendrick also stars in this as Cheryl Bradshaw, the woman who appears on the show that night. The film explores the idea that "when you're confronted by the rage of men, the only way to make it out alive is to play the game." This also stars Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Tony Hale, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakle. The first teaser was very creepy, this trailer is much more open about what is going on and what the whole concept of this movie is: men are scary! And some might just kill you...

Here's the official US trailer (+ poster) for Anna Kendrick's film Woman of the Hour, from YouTube:

You can view the full Canadian trailer for Kendrick's Woman of the Hour right here or the US teaser here.

Woman of the Hour Film

Woman of the Hour Poster

Original festival intro from TIFF: "In the 1970s Rodney Alcala went on a murder spree, luring women by posing as a photographer looking for models. Though already a registered sex offender and recently released from prison, he infamously appeared on 'The Dating Game', a show that introduced a set of three bachelors each week, hidden from view as a woman asked them amusing questions before choosing a winner to go on an all-expenses-paid trip with her... While this confrontation serves as the spine of the film, we’re taken backward and forward through time, exploring Alcala's murders, with a performance by Daniel Zovatto that captures the disquieting hubris of a man who knows he's operating in a world too skewed to catch him." 😱

Woman of the Hour is directed by American actress turned filmmaker Anna Kendrick, making her feature directorial debut with this after executive producing a few films, including Alice, Darling. The screenplay is written by Ian MacAllister McDonald. It's produced by Anna Kendrick, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules. This first premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival last fall. Netflix debuts Kendrick's Woman of the Hour streaming on Netflix starting October 18th, 2024 this fall. Who's planning to watch?
Woman of the Hour

Release poster
Directed by Anna Kendrick
Written by Ian McDonald
Produced by
Roy Lee
Miri Yoon
J. D. Lifshitz
Raphael Margules
Sean Patrick O'Reilly
Starring
Anna Kendrick
Daniel Zovatto
Nicolette Robinson
Tony Hale
Cinematography Zach Kuperstein
Edited by Andrew Canny
Music by
Dan Romer
Mike Tuccillo
Production
companies
AGC Studios
Vertigo Entertainment
BoulderLight Pictures
Distributed by Netflix
Release dates
September 8, 2023 (TIFF)
October 18, 2024
Running time 94 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Woman of the Hour is a 2023 American crime thriller film directed by Anna Kendrick in her directorial debut and written by Ian McDonald. It is based on the life of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who in 1978 appeared on the television show The Dating Game in the midst of his murder spree. The film revolves around the events of the game show, and stars Kendrick as contestant Cheryl Bradshaw.

Woman of the Hour premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, and is scheduled to be released by Netflix on October 18, 2024.

Synopsis
In 1978, serial killer Rodney Alcala appeared on The Dating Game and won a date with bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw. At the time, Alcala had murdered five women, and his strange facade during the episode later nicknamed him "The Dating Game Killer".

Cast
Anna Kendrick as Cheryl Bradshaw
Daniel Zovatto as Rodney Alcala[2]
Nicolette Robinson as Laura[3]
Tony Hale as Ed Burke[4] (based on Jim Lange)
Kathryn Gallagher as Charlie[2]
Pete Holmes as Terry
Autumn Best[2] as Amy (based on "Monique Hoyt")
Jessie Fraser as Lisa
Kelley Jakle[2] as Sarah
Taylor Hastings as Melanie
Jedidiah Goodacre as Arnie
Darcy Laurie as Marty
Production
In December 2017, Ian MacAllister McDonald's screenplay Rodney and Sheryl was featured on the Black List, an annual survey of the most popular scripts yet to be produced.[5] In May 2021, Netflix announced it had bought a package around McDonald's script with Chloe Okuno on board as director and Anna Kendrick attached to star.[6] In April 2022, with Netflix no longer attached, the film was sold at the Cannes Film Festival.[7] It was revealed that Kendrick was now on board as director and producer as well as appearing as Cheryl Bradshaw, with the working title of the project now The Dating Game.[8][9] In December 2022, a producer sued another producer for alleged fraud and breach of contract; The Dating Game was one of three films mentioned in the lawsuit.[10]

Principal photography took place in Vancouver with Zach Kuperstein as cinematographer from October to December 2022.[2][11]

Release
Woman of the Hour premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, with Kendrick and the cast unable to attend due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[1][12] Shortly after, Netflix, which was to distribute the film worldwide early in its development, reacquired distribution rights to the United States as well as some international territories for $11 million.[13][14] AGC Studios sold international rights to the film; among the companies which acquired the film were VVS Films in Canada, Signature Entertainment in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Roadshow Films in Australia and New Zealand, Empire Entertainment in South Africa, Kino Świat in Poland, Sahamongkol Film International in Thailand, Central Partnership in the CIS, Telepool in Germany and Lionsgate in India and Sri Lanka.[15][16] The film is scheduled for release in the United States on October 18, 2024.[17]

Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 62 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Deftly directed by star Anna Kendrick, Woman of the Hour uses an incredible true story as the foundation for a powerful examination of the intersection between systemic misogyny and violence."[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[19]

Accolades
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival Directors to Watch Anna Kendrick Won [20]
References
"Woman of the Hour". TIFF. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
Kroll, Justin (October 28, 2022). "Station 11's Daniel Zovatto To Co-Star In Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut The Dating Game". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
Bell, BreAnna (December 16, 2022). "Tony Hale Joins Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut Feature The Dating Game, Co-Starring Alongside Daniel Zovatto and Nicolette Robinson (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Bell, BreAnna (December 16, 2022). "Tony Hale Joins Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut Feature The Dating Game, Co-Starring Alongside Daniel Zovatto and Nicolette Robinson (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
Hipes, Patrick (December 11, 2017). "The Black List 2017 Screenplays: Post-WWII Tale Ruin Is No. 1 – Full Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 27, 2021). "Anna Kendrick, Director Chloe Okuno In Netflix Movie Package Rodney & Sheryl; True Story Of Woman Who Chose A Serial Killer On TV's The Dating Game". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
Wiseman, Andreas (April 29, 2022). "Anna Kendrick True Crime Thriller About The Dating Game Killer Heads To Cannes Market For AGC & It Producer Vertigo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
Ntim, Zac (September 7, 2022). "Anna Kendrick Sets Directorial Debut With True Crime Thriller The Dating Game". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
Roxborough, Scott (September 20, 2022). "TIFF: Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut The Dating Game Sells Wide". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
Tapp, Tom (December 26, 2022). "One Producer Sues Others Over Unpaid Commissions On Trio Of Films Starring Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick & Kate Beckinsale". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
Smart, Jack (January 20, 2023). "Anna Kendrick embraces her 'really complicated' side". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
"Anna Kendrick Skips TIFF World Premiere of Her Feature Directorial Debut 'Woman of the Hour' Out of Solidarity with Actors". September 9, 2023. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
Fleming, Mike Jr (September 11, 2023). "Netflix Landing Anna Kendrick's 'Dating Game' Serial Killer Tale 'Woman Of The Hour' For $11 Million In First Big TIFF 2023 Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
"Netflix Wraps Up Anna Kendrick's Serial Killer Movie 'Woman of the Hour' in Toronto Mega-Deal". Variety. September 11, 2023. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
Grobar, Matt (September 20, 2022). "AGC International Secures Bumper Pre-Sales On Richard Linklater's Hitman & Anna Kendrick's The Dating Game". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
Kay, Jeremy (September 12, 2023). "Netflix pounces on US, remaining international rights at TIFF to Anna Kendrick's 'Woman Of The Hour'". Screen International. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
Squires, John (August 28, 2024). "Netflix's Halloween Horror Lineup Includes Slasher Time Cut, The Platform 2 and More". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on September 2, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
"Woman of the Hour". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 14, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
"Woman of the Hour". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
Vary, Peter Debruge,Murtada Elfadl,Todd Gilchrist,Gregg Goldstein,Paula Hendrickson,Courtney Howard,Angelique Jackson,Brent Simon,Adam B.; Debruge, Peter; Elfadl, Murtada; Gilchrist, Todd; Goldstein, Gregg; Hendrickson, Paula; Howard, Courtney; Jackson, Angelique; Simon, Brent (January 4, 2024). "Variety's 10 Directors to Watch for 2024: Blitz Bazawule, Cord Jefferson and Anna Kendrick Among Noteworthy Helmers". Variety. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
External links
Woman of the Hour at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
Categories: 2023 filmsBiographical films about serial killersFilms about real serial killers2020s English-language filmsFilms shot in VancouverAmerican crime drama filmsAmerican crime thriller films2023 drama films2023 directorial debut filmsFilms affected by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikeFilms produced by Roy LeeFilms scored by Dan RomerVertigo Entertainment filmsFilms set in 1978Films about quizzes and game shows
This morning, Netflix debuted the first official teaser for Woman of the Hour, its anticipated thriller starring Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), which marks the Oscar nominee’s feature directorial debut, and is slated to debut on the streamer on October 18.

In the film written by Ian McDonald, which world premiered to critical acclaim at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles who finds herself courted by a serial killer (Daniel Zovatto) in the midst of a years-long murder spree, when they cross paths as contestants on popular game show The Dating Game.

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The real-life killer, played by Zovatto, is Rodney Alcala, a California native who was responsible for at least eight murders across the U.S., among other crimes.

Watch on Deadline
00:00

01:42

Woman of the Hour also stars Tony Hale (Veep), Nicolette Robinson (One Night in Miami…), Pete Holmes (Crashing), Autumn Best (4400), Kathryn Gallagher (You) and Kelley Jakle (Pitch Perfect franchise). Produced by Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, the film’s executive producers include Stuart Ford, Zach Garrett, Miguel A. Palos, Jr., Kendrick, Ian McDonald, Joe Penna, Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, Paul Barbeau, Sean Patrick O’Reilly, Andrew Deane and Stephen Crawford. Lorelle Lynch, Chris Abernathy and Tracy Rosenblum served as co-producers.

Most recently unveiling titles like Jeremy Saulnier’s action thriller Rebel Ridge and the Joey King starrer Uglies, Netflix’s slate of new films for the rest of the month also includes Azazel Jacobs’ drama His Three Daughters (September 20) and Sydney Freeland’s Rez Ball (September 27), an acclaimed sports drama coming off its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

Check out the Woman of the Hour teaser by clicking above.

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Woman Of The Hour
Woman of the Hour is a true crime thriller, but its approach to the material is rather unique. The movie, which begins streaming October 18 on Netflix, follows aspiring actress Cheryl Bradshaw as she negotiates attempts at stardom in 1970s Los Angeles before landing a guest spot on The Dating Game, where she is thrown into the path of one Rodney Alcala. Known as the "Dating Game Killer" in real, Alcala was eventually convicted on 5 counts of murder and 2 counts of rape, all part of a violent (and allegedly much deadlier) crime spree that took place even as he flirted with Cheryl on national TV.

Anna Kendrick pulls double duty, not only playing Cheryl but also directing Woman of the Hour. The crime thriller, written by Ian Mcdonald, dovetails her innocent search for fame with Alcala's (played by David Zovetto of Station Eleven) much more sinister hunt for his next victim. But Cheryl is not the only woman whose story is highlighted, and the film also stars Nicolette Robinson as Laura, Autumn Best as Amy, and Kathryn Gallagher as Charlie. Each character's arc, whether they are based on a real victim or not, has a lesson to offer about society's tendency to overlook danger rather than actively protect women from harm.

Anna Kendrick sitting on a game show set in Woman of the Hour
Related
Woman Of The Hour Trailer: Anna Kendrick Wins A Date With A Serial Killer In True Story Thriller
The Woman of the Hour trailer teases the true story of Anna Kendrick's character who unknowingly wins a date with a serial killer on a TV game show.

Screen Rant interviewed Robinson, Best, and Gallagher about their admiration for Anna Kendrick doubling as lead actress and director in Woman of the Hour. The trio also discussed how they stepped into their respective characters, which elements helped them better envision the 1970s — and how despite the movie's "true crime" tag, its themes are just as relevant today.

Music & Costumes Set The Scene For Woman Of The Hour – But Life Experience Was First And Foremost
“This film took place in the '70s, but that element… is still deeply present today.”
Nicolette Robinson looking shocked in Woman of the Hour
Screen Rant: I think this is such a fascinating film, and I did not know it was a true story before. Did you each have a way into the time period?

Nicolette Robinson: Music, for sure. Also for me, I feel like costumes and wardrobe really just can immediately transport you. It's really incredible. Once that is introduced, you just become the person in a way.

Kathryn Gallagher: I mean, we're here at The London. We're across the street from Whisky [a Go Go], so I think that's my first thought when you said that. The Doors are at their 60th anniversary. They started right there.

Screen Rant: Nicolette, Laura highlights those who tried to ring the alarm bells and were ignored. Can you speak to the larger impact, both in terms of ignoring red flags and also societal failings?

Nicolette Robinson: You can see it everywhere. This film took place in the '70s, but that element of the film is still deeply present today. Certainly, I feel like I have had my dose of experiencing that in my own personal life. But to really go through and walk in Laura's shoes, it's awful.

I hope that people can come away from seeing this film and have more of a consciousness of that. I think it starts with that, the awareness both between men and women, and just hopefully empowering women to really step into themselves and honor their instincts.

Screen Rant: Autumn, what was your way into Amy, who shows both restraint and bravery at once?

Autumn Best: Thank you. I definitely just pulled from a lot of my own life experiences because I feel like the character is so similar to me as a person. I grew up very religious, and so I grew up being very good at restraint and being very good at filtering my own feelings and my own instincts. I really didn't have to do that much digging to find Amy because she's right here with me.

And then a lot of the physical stuff comes from costumes and comes from [the fact that] I love to journal on set and sketch on set to take in the physical landscape and be in my physical body. That really helps me. It really was just a lot of sitting with myself and having hard conversations with myself.

Woman Of The Hour Stars Praise Anna Kendrick’s Directorial Vision
“We just felt like we were in really capable, passionate hands.”Anna Kendrick director Kathryn Gallagher & Daniel Zovatto in Woman of the Hour
Screen Rant: Kathryn, did you have any conversations with Anna about the role of Charlie that helped you frame her story?

Kathryn Gallagher: Absolutely. I think that Anna was so considerate and intentional throughout this whole process. She really knew exactly what to say and was very open to any question, and she created a set that was so safe to try things in, which I think is sort of the key to feeling safe enough to give a good performance. She was just a real teammate.

All of us come from theater, and Anna is, of course, one of the youngest Tony nominees ever. So, I think we were all pretty used to being on our feet and trying new things.

Screen Rant: Was there anything that stood out to you most about Anna wearing all the different hats?

Nicolette Robinson: Oh, my God. Well, it's a mutual fan club. We can't stop talking about her. She's incredible. She's just so creative, and she just knows film. She's been doing it for so long and has such a love of film, so we just felt like we were in really capable, passionate hands.

Autumn Best: She was so humble too. She was so just honest about her feelings and honest about how she was feeling that day, and that really helped bring everyone's walls down a little bit. And she's a problem solver too. She's the best she can think so quickly on her feet. It's really impressive.

Nicolette Robinson: And you just see her on set in her hair with her curlers getting ready because she's in the film as well. [It's] insane and wild to see this beautiful, passionate woman just telling everybody on set what to do. She's amazing.

More About Woman Of The Hour (2024)

The stranger-than-fiction story of an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles and a serial killer in the midst of a yearslong murder spree, whose lives intersect when they’re cast on an episode of The Dating Game.

Check out our other Woman of the Hour interviews here:

Anna Kendrick & Daniel Zovatto
Tony Hale
Woman of the Hour begins streaming October 18 on Netflix.

Source: Screen Rant Plus

Woman of the Hour (2024) Official Poster
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Woman of the Hour
Crime
Drama
Mystery
Thriller
Woman of the Hour is a biographical thriller directed by Anna Kendrick, who also stars in the film. The movie chronicles the infamous real-life story of Cheryl Bradshaw's appearance on the 1978 edition of The Dating Game, where one of the contestants, Rodney Alcala, would later be revealed as a notorious serial killer. The film delves into the chilling intersection of entertainment and true crime.

Director
Anna Kendrick
Studio(s)
AGC Studios , Vertigo Entertainment , BoulderLight Pictures
Distributor(s)
Netflix
Writers
Ian MacAllister McDonald
Cast
Anna Kendrick , Daniel Zovatto , Autumn Best , Andy Thompson , David Beairsto , Tighe Gill , Bonnie Hay , Thomas Strumpski , Nicolette Robinson , Kathryn Gallagher , Kelley Jakle , Tony Hale
Character(s)
Cheryl Bradshaw , Rodney Alcala , Amy , Bob , Rodney's Boss , Bachelor , Bartender , Laundromat Owner
Runtime
94 Minutes
Main Genre
Crime
Woman of the Hour, which begins streaming October 18 on Netflix, is based on the strange yet true story of serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala. Known as the "Dating Game Killer" because of his 1978 appearance on a popular game show amid his violent and terrifying crime spree, Alcala was eventually caught and given the death sentence — but the movie focuses on one of his potential victims rather than on the perpetrator. Anna Kendrick stars as aspiring actress Cheryl Bradshaw, who meets Alcala on national television as a contestant on The Dating Game.

Kendrick also directs Woman of the Hour from a screenplay by Ian McDonald, making her feature film directorial debut a rather ambitious undertaking. the most improbable true stories I've ever heard. Her gamble seems to have paid off, as the movie received rave reviews on the festival circuit prior to its Netflix release, and her costar David Zovetto (Station Eleven) has been praised for toeing the line between Alcala's charm and unsettling demeanor. But the true balancing act of Woman of the Hour is Kendrick chronicling the stories of Cheryl and other women in the face of society's failure to protect them while still bringing the laughs with the dating show's ridiculous premise.

Anna Kendrick sitting on a game show set in Woman of the Hour
Related
Woman Of The Hour Trailer: Anna Kendrick Wins A Date With A Serial Killer In True Story Thriller
The Woman of the Hour trailer teases the true story of Anna Kendrick's character who unknowingly wins a date with a serial killer on a TV game show.

Screen Rant interviewed Kendrick and Zovatto about combining the job descriptions of lead actor and director for Woman of the Hour, as well as the research that went into portraying the emotional truth of Cheryl Bradshaw's story in the face of Rodney Alcala's evil actions.

Anna Kendrick’s Directorial Debut Was Surprisingly Easy For One Reason
“The fact that the lead actress and the director are going to be on the same page every day is so great.”
Anna Kendrick directing Woman of the Hour
Screen Rant: Anna, I'm so proud of you. You're not just directing, but also acting the main role alongside that. What was the most challenging or surprising aspect of that experience?

Anna Kendrick: Oh, gosh. That's an overwhelming question. But I think, if anything, I knew that I wasn't actually seeing the idea of directing and acting as a deficit. It sounds like I'm being silly when I say this, but I'm not. The fact that the lead actress and the director are going to be on the same page every day is so great.

It is truly just one less thing I have to think about. Because there are so many little things, like I knew I wanted a certain moment to happen in a certain way, and having to explain that to someone and get them on board with it if they wanted to do something else? That would've been stressful. So, at least I don't have to worry about that.

Screen Rant: From your perspective, Daniel, how do you think it changed your experience to have a fellow actor directing you?

Daniel Zovatto: It's somebody who understands the process of what you're doing during the scenes — some things you want to talk about, some things you don't want to talk about. Sometimes you need some space to yourself. Anna, she's not just a great leader, but she's also a great coworker to have. She was always just making me feel like I could trust myself, I could trust my insects so I could follow through with what I believed was Rodney and just encourage me.

And man, it was a great experience. It feels like she's done it before. I think she has, and she's not telling anybody, but it really does feel that way.

Woman Of The Hour Strives For Emotional Resonance Over Historical Accuracy
“I felt heartbroken and enraged at over a decade of injustices and law enforcement negligence.”
Rodney Alcala and other suitors at the game night in Woman of the Hour
Screen Rant: You both had the dating game footage and court records; the history to depict the true crime aspect of the movie. But was there anything else you used to get into the minds of Shirley and Rodney, or even the time period?

Anna Kendrick: Yeah, we did. We were able to hire a researcher for a very brief window. A lot of the research was just me and a laptop and a Newspapers.com subscription. At a certain point, Matt Murphy, the prosecutor who was involved in the 2010 retrial, made himself available. I can't overstate how generous that was of him to do. While I could call him for a research chat, they were frequently more emotionally grounding chats. Because, as the prosecutor, he's focused on the victims, and we were never really trying to perfectly in detailed accuracy recreate these situations or these characters.

I could have made the dress that Cheryl [Bradshaw] wore more like the actual dress she wore, but it was almost like a nod to the fact that we're trying to tell an emotionally resonant story. We're not going to get bogged down in certain minutiae because it's going to get in the way. The idea for me was really, after really diving into all that research, "What is the feeling that I'm left with?" I felt heartbroken and enraged at over a decade of injustices and law enforcement negligence.

While there was eventually a story that was frankly ready-made for Hollywood, where a young detective comes in and actually takes this case seriously and changes things — and then there's this prosecutor. That story did happen, but it also feels pretty emotionally dishonest to have focused on things like that because that isn't really the emotional crux of this story. It was always, for me, about trying to service something that would leave the audience with a certain emotional feeling rather than making sure that every prop or every date was exactly how it happened.

Screen Rant: I love that it is still resonant today. Daniel, did you feel like it made you reflect on women in society today?

Daniel Zovatto: Yeah, for sure. Just certain things like walking to your car and how that is a thing for women.

For me, what really impacted my research was the photographs that were released by the police of all the victims that were never found, and why it was. Because most of the research and most of the stuff that we know about Rodney is post-this era, right? It's him older, him caught, him in trials — all that stuff. But this whole decade was a little bit less information, so these photographs really allowed me to realize this man is a person who is able to lure people in.

He has charisma, he's smart, but he also has the capacity of making that other person feel comfortable enough to photograph them and capture the essence of the person. And there are so many beautiful photographs that he took — and unfortunately, they are beautiful. But it gave me an idea of, "Oh, this is Rodney. I can play with this." And then all the other research, the bipolar [disorder] and all that stuff.

It's kind of grabbing it all together and making your own recipe; having discussions with Anna while we're in a coffee shop and everybody's like, "Are you Anna Kendrick?!" It was a lot of dialogue between us; just encouragement from her and her trusting me.

More About Woman Of The Hour (2024)

The stranger-than-fiction story of an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles and a serial killer in the midst of a yearslong murder spree, whose lives intersect when they’re cast on an episode of The Dating Game.

Check back soon for our other Woman of the Hour interviews here:

Nicolette Robinson, Autumn Best & Kathryn Gallagher
Tony Hale
Woman of the Hour, which begins streaming October 18 on Netflix, is based on the strange yet true story of serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala. Known as the "Dating Game Killer" because of his 1978 appearance on a popular game show amid his violent and terrifying crime spree, Alcala was eventually caught and given the death sentence — but the movie focuses on one of his potential victims rather than on the perpetrator. Anna Kendrick stars as aspiring actress Cheryl Bradshaw, who meets Alcala on national television as a contestant on The Dating Game.

Kendrick also directs Woman of the Hour from a screenplay by Ian McDonald, making her feature film directorial debut a rather ambitious undertaking. the most improbable true stories I've ever heard. Her gamble seems to have paid off, as the movie received rave reviews on the festival circuit prior to its Netflix release, and her costar David Zovetto (Station Eleven) has been praised for toeing the line between Alcala's charm and unsettling demeanor. But the true balancing act of Woman of the Hour is Kendrick chronicling the stories of Cheryl and other women in the face of society's failure to protect them while still bringing the laughs with the dating show's ridiculous premise.

Anna Kendrick sitting on a game show set in Woman of the Hour
Related
Woman Of The Hour Trailer: Anna Kendrick Wins A Date With A Serial Killer In True Story Thriller
The Woman of the Hour trailer teases the true story of Anna Kendrick's character who unknowingly wins a date with a serial killer on a TV game show.

Screen Rant interviewed Kendrick and Zovatto about combining the job descriptions of lead actor and director for Woman of the Hour, as well as the research that went into portraying the emotional truth of Cheryl Bradshaw's story in the face of Rodney Alcala's evil actions.

Anna Kendrick’s Directorial Debut Was Surprisingly Easy For One Reason
“The fact that the lead actress and the director are going to be on the same page every day is so great.”
Anna Kendrick directing Woman of the Hour
Screen Rant: Anna, I'm so proud of you. You're not just directing, but also acting the main role alongside that. What was the most challenging or surprising aspect of that experience?

Anna Kendrick: Oh, gosh. That's an overwhelming question. But I think, if anything, I knew that I wasn't actually seeing the idea of directing and acting as a deficit. It sounds like I'm being silly when I say this, but I'm not. The fact that the lead actress and the director are going to be on the same page every day is so great.

It is truly just one less thing I have to think about. Because there are so many little things, like I knew I wanted a certain moment to happen in a certain way, and having to explain that to someone and get them on board with it if they wanted to do something else? That would've been stressful. So, at least I don't have to worry about that.

Screen Rant: From your perspective, Daniel, how do you think it changed your experience to have a fellow actor directing you?

Daniel Zovatto: It's somebody who understands the process of what you're doing during the scenes — some things you want to talk about, some things you don't want to talk about. Sometimes you need some space to yourself. Anna, she's not just a great leader, but she's also a great coworker to have. She was always just making me feel like I could trust myself, I could trust my insects so I could follow through with what I believed was Rodney and just encourage me.

And man, it was a great experience. It feels like she's done it before. I think she has, and she's not telling anybody, but it really does feel that way.

Woman Of The Hour Strives For Emotional Resonance Over Historical Accuracy
“I felt heartbroken and enraged at over a decade of injustices and law enforcement negligence.”
Rodney Alcala and other suitors at the game night in Woman of the Hour
Screen Rant: You both had the dating game footage and court records; the history to depict the true crime aspect of the movie. But was there anything else you used to get into the minds of Shirley and Rodney, or even the time period?

Anna Kendrick: Yeah, we did. We were able to hire a researcher for a very brief window. A lot of the research was just me and a laptop and a Newspapers.com subscription. At a certain point, Matt Murphy, the prosecutor who was involved in the 2010 retrial, made himself available. I can't overstate how generous that was of him to do. While I could call him for a research chat, they were frequently more emotionally grounding chats. Because, as the prosecutor, he's focused on the victims, and we were never really trying to perfectly in detailed accuracy recreate these situations or these characters.

I could have made the dress that Cheryl [Bradshaw] wore more like the actual dress she wore, but it was almost like a nod to the fact that we're trying to tell an emotionally resonant story. We're not going to get bogged down in certain minutiae because it's going to get in the way. The idea for me was really, after really diving into all that research, "What is the feeling that I'm left with?" I felt heartbroken and enraged at over a decade of injustices and law enforcement negligence.

While there was eventually a story that was frankly ready-made for Hollywood, where a young detective comes in and actually takes this case seriously and changes things — and then there's this prosecutor. That story did happen, but it also feels pretty emotionally dishonest to have focused on things like that because that isn't really the emotional crux of this story. It was always, for me, about trying to service something that would leave the audience with a certain emotional feeling rather than making sure that every prop or every date was exactly how it happened.

Screen Rant: I love that it is still resonant today. Daniel, did you feel like it made you reflect on women in society today?

Daniel Zovatto: Yeah, for sure. Just certain things like walking to your car and how that is a thing for women.

For me, what really impacted my research was the photographs that were released by the police of all the victims that were never found, and why it was. Because most of the research and most of the stuff that we know about Rodney is post-this era, right? It's him older, him caught, him in trials — all that stuff. But this whole decade was a little bit less information, so these photographs really allowed me to realize this man is a person who is able to lure people in.

He has charisma, he's smart, but he also has the capacity of making that other person feel comfortable enough to photograph them and capture the essence of the person. And there are so many beautiful photographs that he took — and unfortunately, they are beautiful. But it gave me an idea of, "Oh, this is Rodney. I can play with this." And then all the other research, the bipolar [disorder] and all that stuff.

It's kind of grabbing it all together and making your own recipe; having discussions with Anna while we're in a coffee shop and everybody's like, "Are you Anna Kendrick?!" It was a lot of dialogue between us; just encouragement from her and her trusting me.

More About Woman Of The Hour (2024)

The stranger-than-fiction story of an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles and a serial killer in the midst of a yearslong murder spree, whose lives intersect when they’re cast on an episode of The Dating Game.

Check back soon for our other Woman of the Hour interviews here:

Nicolette Robinson, Autumn Best & Kathryn Gallagher
Tony Hale
There is a scene early on in Woman of the Hour, Anna Kendrick’s sophisticated and sure-handed directorial debut, where the film’s protagonist, Cheryl (Kendrick), a high-minded aspiring actress, is asked during an audition whether she’s okay with some nudity. She says that it is not for her, to which the casting director, a man, responds: “Oh, I’m sure they are fine.” The moment is shocking in its casual misogyny.

“That happened to me when I was 19,” says Kendrick, speaking over Zoom before her film debuts on Netflix on October 18. “That conversation is verbatim.”

Made from a deftly written script by Ian McDonald that appeared on the 2017 Black List (an annual survey of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplays), Woman of the Hour includes a number of such nods to Kendrick’s personal experiences in Hollywood, added after she came on board as the director. Based on the stranger-than-fiction true story of Cheryl Bradshaw—a Los Angeles woman who went on a 1978 episode of The Dating Game only to be paired with the infamous serial killer Rodney Alcala (played in the film by Daniel Zovatto)—Woman of the Hour dramatizes and occasionally fictionalizes Cheryl’s experiences before, during, and after the game show. The result is a strikingly accomplished psychological thriller about the dangers of walking the earth in a woman’s shoes.

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Kendrick, who has been navigating the entertainment industry for more than two decades (earning Tony and Oscar nominations for High Society in 1998 and Up in the Air in 2009, respectively), did not take on directing duties lightly. She was already attached as an actor and executive producer when the production faced some delays and ended up needing a new director. “I started to have this thought that wouldn’t go away: What if I pitched myself to direct the movie?” she says. “The more I tried to push it away, the more it persisted. And I started to feel heartbroken at the idea of anybody else doing it.” Still, the stakes felt high. “I am also aware that if I say something idiotic in front of the crew, there’s my own shame. And then there’s this weight of, God, are they all thinking this is why people don’t like women as leaders or directors? That was really scary.”

The thought brings Kendrick back to a period in her career when she worked hard to seem like “more of a boy than the boys.” “In my early 20s, when I would talk to guys about movies, the only movies I would reference were mob movies and exploitation films,” she says. “I learned that language so that I could get them to take my opinion seriously.”

When Kendrick got the job directing Woman of the Hour, however, she resisted making the movie too graphic or shocking—the qualities that would impress those guys she used to hang around. That visual discipline is just one part of what makes Woman of the Hour look and feel so much like the work of a veteran. Additionally, Kendrick worked closely with her cinematographer, Zach Kuperstein, to establish a consistent visual language that made the female victims of Rodney’s violence, some shown in flashbacks, actually feel seen rather than objectified. “We shot on lenses that had a lot of character,” Kendrick says. “I wanted the beauty of the film to come from the women, the setting, and their performances. And I wanted to put them in nature, in these beautiful settings, because we have such a limited amount of time to get to know them. And I wanted the space that they occupied to speak to the vastness and complexity of their lives beyond this one violent moment.”

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Karen Holness as Gretchen, Anna Kendrick as Sheryl, Denalda Williams as Marilyn, and director of photography Zach Kuperstein on the set of Woman of the Hour Photo: Leah Gallo/Netflix
She and McDonald worked together on the final script, stitching together favorite pieces from its multiple iterations over the years as well as some new ideas. A priority for Kendrick was steering away from salaciousness: To her, the movie’s emotional resonance came from the sense of grief that we feel throughout, watching women attempt to survive their circumstances, both emotionally and literally, from moment to moment. Something she immediately wanted to work on with McDonald was the ending—not a happy ending, of course, given the harrowing details of the true story, but a parting note that felt both emotionally satisfying and authentically open-ended.

Under Kendrick’s direction, a spirit of sisterhood also came into sharp focus in the story. In one instance, a kindly waitress protects Cheryl during her casual but hostile date with Rodney by refusing to serve them another round at Cheryl’s subtle signaling. “That was something I changed with the actress at the last minute,” Kendrick says. “She understood the assignment intrinsically. I’m sure she’s had a million of those moments in her life, as we all have.” She cites another scene in which a young woman in the audience of the dating show runs out of the studio. “One of the producers mentioned, ‘Oh, I thought this whole moment was really about her trying to get away from this dangerous man. But it’s all about her trying to warn this other woman.’”

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Other interventions were more counterintuitive. Kendrick recalls playfully telling McDonald one day that he was perhaps giving Rodney’s victims too much agency; she knew that a woman so close to danger wouldn’t always raise her voice, take up space, or confront a male antagonist. “As modern women, we are told to take back our power and stop appeasing,” she says. “But sometimes it’s not that simple. Sometimes, that is the thing that’s going to put you in harm’s way. So playing [realistically] with that idea was interesting.” She continues: “Yes, women are supposed to have more agency. And nothing makes me happier than a big fantasy action movie where the heroine is just kicking ass. In our film, the Dating Game section, where Cheryl rebels and takes control, is almost that fantasy.”

Of course, working with great directors over the years also helped prepare Kendrick for her first excursion behind the camera. “The most beneficial thing might have been watching them adjust their temperament to the person they’re in front of. I’m watching Rob Marshall change the way that he speaks to a different actor, and I go, Oh, wow. He’s really not his authentic self with that person. And then when he has to adjust for me, I go, Wait, maybe that’s his authentic self,” she laughs. One filmmaker she called for advice before working on Woman of the Hour? Her A Simple Favor director, Paul Feig. “In hindsight, the guy known for Bridesmaids doesn’t seem like the first phone call you’d make here,” she acknowledges. “But I really like how he is as a collaborator. And I love the dynamic between him and his DP, John Schwartzman. I think of them as these archetypes: the sweetheart and the bulldog. John’s kind of a bulldog. And when I was interviewing cinematographers, I was like, I should probably hire a real sweetheart with Zen energy because I’m such a bulldog.”

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Kendrick on set Photo: Leah Gallo/Netflix
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Her own know-how as an actor was also an asset, helping her anticipate the cast’s needs and apprehensions. “They knew that I’m not someone who’s never stepped in front of the camera and made herself vulnerable that way,” Kendrick explains. “So there was a built-in trust that I’m coming from a place of good faith [when I say], ‘I know it feels wrong, but it is going to look right.’”

And what does she want to do next? “Everything,” she says. “There was a period where the only scripts that I liked were really dark, even darker than this movie. But then I started to come around to the idea that maybe that’s not the space that I want to be living in for two years minimum. There are times where I feel trapped in my own head, in my own darkness. Maybe I need to find something that has a little bit more upside. I would love to direct something else. But maybe something with 20% more optimism.”