This post contains mentions of sexual assault and violence.
Anna Kendrick has revealed that she donated all the money she made from her recent movie Woman of the Hour.
If you aren’t aware, Anna plays protagonist Sheryl Bradshaw in the Netflix film alongside Daniel Zovatto, who plays serial killer Rodney Alcala. Based on the real-life story, Woman of the Hour (which is Anna’s directorial debut) follows Sheryl as she matches with Rodney on a TV show called The Dating Game.
Without going into too much detail, Anna’s directorial debut does an excellent job of capturing the female experience without resorting to showcasing explicit, violent scenes. It manages to avoid sensationalizing Rodney’s horrific crimes (he assaults and kills numerous girls throughout the film) while actually humanizing the victims.
Now, Anna has revealed that she opted to donate the money made from Woman of the Hour because she felt “gross” making a profit.
“This was never a money-making venture for me,” the actor explained during a recent appearance on the Crime Junkie AF podcast.
Anna noted that she hadn’t even thought about the money the film could earn until shortly before its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Eventually, Netflix bought the movie. But it wasn't until, like, the week before TIFF that I thought, Oh, the movie’s gonna make money,” she recalled.
“I asked myself the question of, ‘Do you feel gross about this?’ And I did,” she admitted.
“And so, I’m not making money off of the movie. The money is going to — or has gone to — RAINN and to the National Center for Victims of Violent Crime,” she shared, referencing two of the largest American nonprofit anti-sexual assault organizations. “That felt like the least that I could do.”
RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) created the National Sexual Assault Hotline, and carries out programs to prevent sexual violence.
Anna has since won immense praise from fans for donating her earnings.
“THIS is the kind of behavior we need from celebrities who choose to deal with delicate/traumatic storylines,” one person tweeted. “every single ‘true crime’ documentary, film, tv show etc. should do this- Anna is setting the blueprint,” said another.
“i appreciate this from her, i genuinely think this is the only *somewhat* ethical way to make a movie about true crime victims,” someone else agreed, while another user added, “This is so important. To make a film about a truly horrific story but then make sure you’re not profiting off of it and the proceeds are going to charitable organisations? More people need to be a little more Anna Kendrick.”
Props to you, Anna! Woman of the Hour is available to stream on Netflix, and you can watch Anna’s full appearance on the Crime Junkie AF podcast here.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.