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28 04 2022 - Media release

Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick and Hugo Weaving to star in Kitty Green's thriller The Royal Hotel

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Kitty Green

From Award-winning writer and director Kitty Green (The Assistant) and multi-award-winning production company See-Saw Films (The Power Of The Dog), The Royal Hotel will star two-time Emmy Award winner Julia Garner (Inventing Anna, Ozark), AFI winner Hugo Weaving (Oranges and Sunshine, The Matrix) and rising star Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections and upcoming Knives Out 2).

The Royal Hotel will reunite Green and Garner who previously worked together on Green’s breakout hit The Assistant which premiered at the 2019 Telluride Film Festival and earned Garner an Independent Spirit Award nomination.

A social thriller inspired by true events, the film follows Hanna (Garner) and Liv (Henwick) who are best friends backpacking in Australia. After they run out of money, Liv, looking for an adventure, convinces Hanna to take a temporary live-in job behind the bar of a pub called ‘The Royal Hotel’ in a remote Outback mining town. Bar Owner Billy (Weaving) and a host of locals give the girls a riotous introduction to Down Under drinking culture but things turn nasty when their jokes and behaviour cross the line. Soon Hanna and Liv find themselves trapped in an unnerving situation that grows rapidly out of their control.

Screen Australia’s Head of Content Grainne Brunsdon said, “We’re delighted to support award-winning director Kitty Green’s first feature at home in Australia with this uniquely Australian psychological thriller. Together with the exceptional team at See-Saw, talented co-writer Oscar Redding and an outstanding cast, Green is poised to make a big splash and we’re confident this film will enthral audiences here and around the world.”

The Royal Hotel is a See-Saw Films production. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the South Australian Film Corporation. Financed with support from Screen NSW. Australian distribution by Transmission Films and international sales by HanWay and Cross City Films.  

NEON have acquired the North American rights to The Royal Hotel.

See-Saw’s Emile Sherman and Iain Canning said, “We are very happy to be working with NEON again on the release of The Royal Hotel. NEON have an undeniable history of supporting both emerging and established filmmakers, and putting together innovative and provocative campaigns. We know that they are the right home to bring this film to US theatres.”

Liz Watts said “Kitty Green has the rare ability to create compelling, edge of your seat cinema that draws you in from the opening scene.  We are thrilled to be partnering with Neon to bring The Royal Hotel to audiences.”

The Royal Hotel is produced by Emile Sherman and Iain Canning of See-Saw Films, the Academy and BAFTA Award winning team behind The Power Of The Dog, Lion and The King’s Speech, together with Animal Kingdom and The King producer Liz Watts, See-Saw Films’ Head of Film and Television (Aus), and Scarlett Pictures’ Kath Shelper. See-Saw Films’ COO Simon Gillis will executive produce. Green co-wrote the script with Oscar Redding (Van Diemen's Land).

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