Hollywood’s next original concept all-star blockbuster comes from The Cabin in the Woods (2012) director Drew Goddard, who also wrote the screenplays for The Martian (2015) and World War Z (2013).
The second film of the year to centre around a host of colourful characters coming together at a mysterious hotel (the first being the all-star Hotel Artemis, directed incidentally by another Drew – Drew Pierce), is called Bad Times at the El Royale. The synopsis states:
“Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at Lake Tahoe’s El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have a last shot at redemption… before everything goes to hell. Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson and Cynthia Erivo lead an all-star cast in Bad Times at the El Royale.”
Producer Jeremy Latcham says, “Drew Goddard has assembled a lobby full of amazing characters in his storied El Royale Hotel and I cannot wait for audiences to meet these truly unique folks and learn who they are and uncover what makes each of them tick. It will almost certainly not be what it is expected to be and that is a lot of the fun of the film. It is character driven in the best sense.”
Here’s our first look at the characters:
Chris Hemsworth is Billy Lee
Famous of course for bringing to life Thor in The Avengers franchise, Hemsworth has also starred in 12 Strong (2018) and Rush (2013) amongst others.
Jon Hamm is Laramie Seymour Sullivan
The Mad Men legend has recently appeared in Baby Driver (2017), as well as Keeping Up with the Joneses (2017) alongside Gal Gadot.
Dakota Johnson is Emily Summerspring
Finally free of the Fifty Shades Franchise, How to Be Single (2016) star Johnson will be able to really spread her wings once more in this film!
Jeff Bridges is Father Daniel Flynn
With its 20th anniversary approaching, The Big Lebowski (1998) star Bridges has also made his name with modern classics Iron Man (2008) and True Grit (2010).
Cailee Spaeny is Emily’s sister
Newcomer Spaeny smashed her debut action role in Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) alongside John Boyega, and is also set to star in On the Basis of Sex (2018).
Lewis Pullman is an unknown character
Another relative newcomer, Pullman has starred in Aftermath (2017), Lean on Pete (2017), and Battle of the Sexes (2017) alongside Emma Stone and Steve Carell.
Cynthia Erivo is Darlene Sweet
Queen of stage and screen, Tony award winning Erivo has starred in The Color Purple, and is set to wow in the upcoming Widows (2018) screening at TIFF, as well as taking on the role of Harriet Tubman in Harriet (2019).
The cast also includes sitcom favourites Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place).
Bad Times at the El Royale hits UK cinemas on October 12th.