Anna Kendrick Praised for Directorial Debut as Netflix Acquires U.S. Rights

Anna Kendrick dipped her toe in the director's pool with her first film, Woman of the Hour, which she also starred in alongside Daniel Zovatto.

The film follows the stranger-than-fiction true story of Cheryl Bradshaw and Rodney Alcala. Bradshaw was a bachelorette on the hit 70s TV matchmaking show The Dating Game and chose handsome and funny bachelor number three, Rodney Alcala. But behind Alcala's charming facade was a deadly secret: he was a psychopathic serial killer.

The film also stars Kathryn Gallagher, Nicolette Robinson, Kelley Jakle, Autumn Best, Pete Holmes and Tony Hale and is written by Ian MacAllister McDonald.

Debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival to a Rotten Tomatoes Critics' score of 89%, Kendrick was praised for her "assured directorial debut", with the film heralded as a "tight, smartly handled thriller".

Netflix swooped in and acquired the US and remaining international rights following the success of its world premiere. Deadline revealed the streamer acquired the film "for around $11 million" after Netflix originally optioned the script before things went awry with cost-cutting and the original director leaving the project.

Further news on expected release date is TBC.