Woman of the Hour's Anna Kendrick felt 'gross' being paid for true crime serial killer film, gave her profits to charity

Oscar-nominated actress and Woman of the Hour director Anna Kendrick revealed that she donated her profits from the sale of her feature directorial debut to two different charities, after feeling "gross" about the thought of making financial gains for her work on the new Netflix film about a real-life serial killer.

The 39-year-old Up in the Air and Pitch Perfect star recently told the Crime Junkie AF podcast that she felt conflicted over "some valid ethical questions around true crime" when discussing the film, and she never intended the film to be "a money-making venture" for her. She said she didn't even consider that prospect until the film's debut at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

"Eventually, Netflix bought the movie. But, it wasn't until the week before TIFF that I thought, oh, the movie's going to make money," Kendrick continued. "We just barely made the deadline to get into TIFF, then it was like, there's going to be money exchanging hands. I asked myself the question about, 'Do you feel gross about this?' And I did."

Kendrick stressed that she's "not making money off of the movie," and "the money has gone to RAINN and to the National Center for Victims [of Crimes]."

The star said the topic is still a "complicated area," though donating any money she would've pocketed from the film "felt like the least that I should do" after dramatizing real-life events.

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network provided Entertainment Weekly with an email statement from Scott Berkowitz, the founder and president of the organization.

“We’re so grateful to Anna Kendrick for her support of RAINN and all survivors, and for being a compassionate storyteller when it comes to raising awareness of sexual violence," the statement reads. "Her donation will help us continue to provide free, 24/7 support through RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline."

A representative for Kendrick also confirms to EW that the actress made a donation to both charities she spoke about on the Crime Junkie AF podcast.

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EW has additionally reached out to representatives for Netflix and the National Center for Victims of Crimes for more information.

Kendrick's first-time outing as a director-star has proven to be a popular one, as the film hit No. 1 on Netflix's streaming chart after its release earlier in October. The film follows the disturbing true story of a serial killer named Rodney Alcala, who appeared on a 1978 episode of The Dating Game amid his crimes.

Woman of the Hour is now streaming on Netflix.