Anna Kendrick’s True-Crime Directorial Debut, ‘The Dating Game,’ Already Got Bought Up Like Crazy At TIFF

Anna Kendrick scored big at TIFF this year. Her current project, Alice, Darling, sees the Oscar nominee taking on a project very personal to her, given her recent revelation of breaking free from an emotionally abusive relationship. The movie’s obviously a very somber affair, given that it involves Anna’s character going away for a weekend with friends, who realize the gravity of what she’s been enduring. Anna mentioned that she hadn’t previously seen any relatable movies on the subject, but for a slightly lighter (but not really) project, she’s now turning to The Dating Game.

This movie shall be her directorial debut, a true-crime thriller, in which she will also star. The Dating Game is so-named for the 1970s show of the same name, and in particular, the film follows the appearance and aftermath of serial killer Rodney Alcala in the dating pool. These days, it’s a lot easier to vet dating-show contestants, but man, Alcala’s presence was not great. The film industry, however, is clamoring for this story, and as The Hollywood Reporter reveals, TIFF became ground central for a bidding frenzy. Before cameras even started rolling, the international sales rolled into view:

The upcoming thriller was snatched up by multiple international distributors at the Toronto International Film Festival following an in-person pitch by Kendrick and AGC Studio’s CEO Stuart Ford, who are producing and fully financing the film.

Telepool pre-bought The Dating Game for Germany, while Signature Entertainment took rights in the U.K. and Ireland; Sun Distribution bought Latin America, Spain and Portugal; VVS Films scored Canadian rights; Lucky Red took Italian rights, and Roadshow Films landed the film for Australia and New Zealand, among many other deals.

Anna will portray an unlucky bachelorette, Cheryl Bradshaw, who unfortunately picked Alcala but fortunately lived to tell the tale. All told, Alcala reportedly killed at least 130 people and was known to charm women by suggesting that he take their photograph. Alcala died in 2021 (of natural causes) while awaiting execution for his gruesome crimes. It’s a story that will no doubt ride the current true-crime wave, although there’s no set date yet for The Dating Game.