Woman of the Hour

Woman of the Hour is a 2023 American period crime drama film directed by Anna Kendrick in her directorial debut and written by Ian MacAllister 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
Directed byAnna Kendrick
Written byIan MacAllister McDonald
Produced by
  • Roy Lee
  • Miri Yoon
  • J.D. Lifshitz
  • Raphael Margules
Starring
CinematographyZach Kuperstein
Edited by
  • Andy Canny
  • Lee Haugen
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • September 8, 2023 (2023-09-08) (TIFF)
Running time
94 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Woman of the Hour premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023.[2][3]

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

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.[7] 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.[8] In April 2022, with Netflix no longer attached, the film was sold at the Cannes Film Festival.[9] 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.[10][11] 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.[12]

Principal photography took place in Vancouver with Zach Kuperstein as cinematographer from October to December 2022.[4][13]

Release

Woman of the Hour premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, with Kendrick and the cast unable to attend due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[1][14] 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.[15][16]

International rights to the film were acquired by VVS Films in Canada, Signature Entertainment in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Roadshow Films in Australia and New Zealand, Empire Entertainment in South Africa, and Aqua in Turkey.[17]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 45 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. 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 75 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[19]

References
  1. "Woman of the Hour". TIFF. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  2. D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 24, 2023). "TIFF Lineup Unveiled Amid Strikes: Awards Contenders 'Dumb Money', 'The Holdovers', 'Rustin'; Starry Pics For Sale With Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Michael Keaton, Viggo Mortensen & More". Deadline. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  3. "Woman of the Hour". TIFF. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  4. Kroll, Justin (October 28, 2022). "Station 11's Daniel Zovatto To Co-Star In Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut The Dating Game". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  5. 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. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  6. 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. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  10. Ntim, Zac (September 7, 2022). "Anna Kendrick Sets Directorial Debut With True Crime Thriller The Dating Game". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  11. Roxborough, Scott (September 20, 2022). "TIFF: Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut The Dating Game Sells Wide". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  12. 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. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  13. Smart, Jack (January 20, 2023). "Anna Kendrick embraces her 'really complicated' side". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  14. https://deadline.com/2023/09/anna-kendrick-skips-tiff-woman-of-the-hour-1235542023/
  15. 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. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  16. "Netflix Wraps Up Anna Kendrick's Serial Killer Movie 'Woman of the Hour' in Toronto Mega-Deal". Variety. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  17. Grobar, Matt (September 20, 2022). "AGC International Secures Bumper Pre-Sales On Richard Linklater's Hitman & Anna Kendrick's The Dating Game". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  18. "Woman of the Hour". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  19. "Woman of the Hour". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
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