Neon Nabs Julia Garner’s ‘The Royal Hotel’ Thriller

Neon has picked up the North American rights to The Royal Hotel from writer and director Kitty Green and See-Saw Films.

The social thriller will star Ozark actress Julia Garner, Hugo Weaving and Jessica Henwick. The Royal Hotel will also reteam Green and Garner after their collaboration on The Assistant, which premiered at Telluride in 2019.

The indie is also produced by the team behind The Power of the Dog and touches on issues like toxic masculinity in the Australian Outback.

Green co-wrote the The Royal Hotel script with Oscar Redding and will shoot the film  this summer in Australia. The indie, inspired by real events, follows Hanna (Garner) and Liv (Henwick) who are best friends backpacking in Australia and running out of money.

After Hanna takes a job behind the bar of a mining town pub called The Royal Hotel, the bar owner, played by Weaving, and locals introduce the girls to an Aussie drinking culture that turns nasty as Hanna and Liv find their lives rapidly spinning out of control.

“We are very happy to be working with Neon again on the release of The Royal Hotel. Neon has 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 U.S. theaters,” See-Saw producers Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, who were behind Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, said in a statement.

International sales on The Royal Hotel is being handled by HanWay and Cross City Films. The film is also produced by Liz Watts, with Kath Shelper and Simon Gillis executive producing.

The distribution deal was negotiated by Jeff Deutchman and Mason Speta on behalf of Neon, Simon Gillis for Cross City Films, See-Saw’s in-house sales arm, alongside UTA Independent Film Group also acting for the filmmakers.