Anna Kendrick donated entire 'Woman of the Hour' profits as she felt 'gross' making money

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Anna Kendrick has revealed that she decided to donate her entire profit from her latest Netflix film to charity after the story behind the movie made her feel “gross.”

According to the Ladbible, the film, 'Woman of the Hour', which marks Kendrick’s directorial debut, has been trending on Netflix, currently ranking among the top three films in the UK. Despite the film’s success, Kendrick felt deeply uncomfortable profiting from a story tied to such a haunting and tragic real-life event.

Anna Kendrick struggles with profit from the true crime story

The film is inspired by the true story of Cheryl Bradshaw (played by Anna Kendrick) and her appearance on the 1970s dating show 'The Dating Game'.

During the show, Bradshaw unknowingly interacted with serial killer Rodney Alcala (played by Daniel Zovatto), who was in the midst of his killing spree.

Alcala, posing as a photographer and skydiving enthusiast, had a dark history that the show had failed to uncover. If a background check had been conducted, producers would have discovered that Alcala had a prior conviction for child molestation, as well as a history of criminal activity that included his later conviction for the murders of at least eight women. It’s believed by authorities that he may have killed over 100 women during his killing spree.

Though the film has garnered a mix of reactions from audiences—some praising it as one of their favorites of the year, while others criticized it for not fully delving into certain aspects of the story—Kendrick was troubled by the sensitive nature of the subject matter.

Anna Kendrick donates entire profit from 'Woman of the Hour'

In an interview on SiriusXM's 'Crime Junkie AF' podcast, she shared that once she realized she would be receiving money from the project, she questioned whether it felt right to profit from such a grim and disturbing story.

Kendrick explained, “Once I realized, ‘Oh there’s going to be money exchanging hands', I asked myself the question, ‘Do you feel gross about this?’ And I did.” The actress and director added that after coming to terms with her discomfort, she decided to donate all her earnings from the film. “So I’m not making money off the movie. The money is going to RAINN and the National Centre for Victims of Crime,” she said, referencing two nonprofit organizations that support victims of violent crimes.

Her decision to donate the profit has been met with widespread praise, with fans on social media commending Kendrick for her integrity and empathy.