Netflix Acquires Anna Kendrick’s Directorial Debut “Woman of the Hour” for $11 Million

Netflix acquired Anna Kendrick‘s debut film, “Woman of the Hour,” for $11 million following its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. The film follows the true story of a woman who won a date on The Dating Game with a man who turned out to be a notorious serial killer.

Directed by Kendrick in her directorial debut, the film is based on the life of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who appeared on the television show ‘The Dating Game’ in 1978 during his murder spree. The screenplay is written by Ian MacAllister McDonald. The film stars Kendrick as Cheryl Bradshaw, Daniel Zovatto as Rodney Alcala, Nicolette Robinson as Laura, Tony Hale, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakle, and Autumn Best.

What is the Plot of “Woman of the Hour”?

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 new 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.

Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut uses this stranger-than-fiction story to examine the distressing dynamics of gender. In addition to directing, Kendrick also plays Sheryl, the struggling actor who decided to book an appearance on the show where she would have a chilling run-in with Alcala. 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.

Instead of dwelling on the gruesome details that often preoccupy true-crime tales, Kendrick uses the case to make an incisive statement on the way women are forced to navigate their encounters with men. In addition to being an intelligent metaphor for those uncomfortable nuances, Woman of the Hour also harbors a dark truth: when you’re confronted by the rage of men, the only way to make it out alive is to play the game.

Produced by Kendrick, Roy Lee, J.D. Lifshitz, and Raphael Margules of BoulderLight Pictures, with executive producers Stephen Crawford and Andrew Deane, and co-producer Tracy Rosenblum. The film was financed by Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios.