When filmmaker Drew Goddard gets an original idea, you can really bank on the word ‘original’. The man who cooked up an all-new take on the horror genre alongside Joss Whedon in The Cabin in the Woods is back, cracking open a brand new pulp fiction-inspired mystery thriller, filled with all kinds of shadowy characters. Bad Times at the El Royale is looking like a genre-literate blast, boasting a cast including the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson and Cynthia Erivo, all guests at the titular lodging who check in for a night they’ll never forget.
Not only does the film take star billing in the new Empire’s Ultimate Autumn Preview, but we’ve got two brand new images from it right here for you to analyse. First up is Chris Hemsworth’s cult leader Billy Lee, unloading a bag full of cash. And is that two of the other hotel’s inhabitants, tied up and gagged? We’re going to guess Billy’s got bad plans.
Next up, here’s Jeff Bridges as Father Daniel Flynn. Except, he doesn’t seem to be your typical priest because he’s got Lewis Pullman’s concierge in some kind of chokehold. Maybe he got bad room service?
Fair to say this is one we’re extremely excited about, perhaps even moreso for how much we won’t know before going in. Read all about Drew Goddard’s journey of getting an original screenplay produced in Hollywood in the new issue of Empire, on sale on Thursday 6 September.
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