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EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Toni Collette (Knives Out) and Supergirl star Milly Alcock are teaming up to star in survival thriller Hot Mother, which is being lined up for a 2026 shoot in Australia. In Hot Mother, a mother and daughter visit a remote wellness spa for the weekend in an attempt to reconnect. But their time together quickly turns into a physical and psychological fight for survival when they get trapped in a sauna where no one can hear their cries for help. Lucy Knox’s feature debut will follow her short of the same name which she wrote and directed and which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020. Bankside Films is handling worldwide sales and co-repping North America with CAA Media Finance ahead of next week’s American Film Market. The Australian movie will be produced by Sarah Shaw and Anna McLeish for Carver Films and Oscar-winner Alex Coco for Rapt Films. Coco most recently produced Sean Baker’s Anora, having previously collaborated with the director on Red Rocket and The Florida Project. Carver produced Run Rabbit Run which released on Netflix worldwide after its Sundance premiere in 2023 and is also known for producing movies including Sundance horror Relic and acclaimed Cannes drama Snowtown. Collette and Jen Turner will serve as executive producers under Collette’s Vocab Films banner. Ruby Monette-Meadow will also executive-produce. The film will have major production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Screen NSW. Financed in association with VicScreen, local distribution will come from Maslow Entertainment. Muriel’s Wedding and Knives Out star Collette is known for genre hits including The Sixth Sense and Hereditary. House Of The Dragon star Alcock, who recently starred in Netflix series Sirens, is currently taking on the title role in DC Entertainment’s Supergirl, which is released next year. Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw of Carver Films said: “As producers with a strong track record of launching Australian filmmakers, we’ve been aware of Lucy’s exceptional talent as a writer-director for many years. She’s beyond ready to bring Hot Mother to life for audiences worldwide, with its thrilling screenplay and incredible cast.” Alex Coco commented: “Lucy is a filmmaker’s filmmaker, exactly the directors that I’m most committed to working with. With our two lead actresses, this film will play wide globally, and introduce a new and fresh voice to the directing game.” Stephen Kelliher of Bankside Films added: “We were sold on Hot Mother from the title alone but discovering Lucy Knox’s incredible short and reading the screenplay solidified our immense passion for this story. With character and mother-daughter relationships at its heart, the film will thrill audiences with its edge-of-your-seat take on a survival story.” Toni Collette is represented by CAA, Finley Management and United Management. Milly Alcock is represented by Entertainment360, CAA, Curtis Brown and Goodman, Genow. Lucy Knox is represented by Dissident and Gochman Law Group. Alex Coco is represented by Dissident, CAA and Lichter, Grossman.
