Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week we’re talking to Rosie Fellner, who recently produced The Uninvited, a dark comedy starring Walton Goggins, Elizabeth Reaser, Pedro Pascal, Rufus Sewell and Lois Smith. The British producer (and niece of Working Title co-head Eric Fellner) talks about her career as a multihyphenate and why she’s passionate about supporting first-time filmmakers through her new shingle Rosebud Pictures.
Rosie Fellner loves a puzzle. “I love putting things together – I’m a doer and like the puzzle of putting financing together for projects I’m passionate about,” the UK native tells Deadline.
So, for Fellner, who began her career as an actor on cult British comedy TV series The Fast Show before taking roles in Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip, The Face of an Angel and, more recently, Disney+ miniseries A Small Light, moving into the independent production space always felt like a natural next step. “I had always thought about starting a production company very early on in my career because it felt like such an instinctual thing in me to create rather than just be an actor waiting for a job,” she says. “But admittedly, I was always slightly embarrassed to say I was producing – I felt I had to stay in my lane and if I was acting, I really had to stick to being an actor and do that. But I always wanted to lead, and I think the way I’ve progressed now into being a producer is very meta.”
Fellner counts Working Title co-head Eric Fellner as her uncle and when asked whether she courts advice from the prolific British producer she says: “He’s very supportive. I’m so inspired by him and what he has built but I’m working in quite a different space to him.”
Based in between London and Los Angeles, Rosie Fellner is coming off the back of her first feature production The Uninvited which she produced via her newly launched Rosebud Pictures. The dark comedy marks the debut of writer-director Nadia Conners and stars Elizabeth Reaser, Walton Goggins, Pedro Pascal, Rufus Sewell, Lois Smith and Eva De Dominici.
The plot revolves around a stranger (Smith) who interrupts a party hosted by actress-turned-reluctant homemaker Rose (Reaser) and her agent husband Sammy (Goggins), which ultimately leads to a comedy of errors and a reordering of life. Taking place across the course of one night in the Hollywood Hills, the encounter forces Rose to confront her insecurities and loneliness of a crumbling marriage.
Pedro Pascal & Walton Goggins in ‘The Uninvited’
The project was the brainchild of Conners and was originally conceived as a play, inspired by an old woman who turned up at Conners’ house thinking she lived there.
“When I read Nadia’s script, it spoke so much to my life and I felt a deep connection to its authenticity,” says Fellner. “So, we started developing it as a play. But then the pandemic happened so we pivoted and developed it into a movie.”
At the time, Fellner had recently become a mother and admits that she felt a real connection to the character of Rose. “The parts that I was being offered as an actor at the time were changing and I was suddenly moving into a different age group, so I really related to her character,” she says, adding that “she loved the wit and cleverness in the dialogue”. Fellner had already dabbled in production having produced a slew of shorts as well as Danny Huston’s upcoming genre feature Snowshadow along with its companion doc series. That project, which Fellner won’t reveal much about, is based on the search for the famous Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger that disappeared for 25 years and is currently in post. She was also an executive producer on Dev Patel’s folklore horror Rabbit Trap, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year.
But The Uninvited marks Fellner’s first official production to come out of her Rosebud Pictures banner. She produced the project with Foton Pictures’ Carlos Cuscó and Ari Taboada. Cassian Elwes and Naomi Despres are exec producers while WME Independent packaged and handled global sales for the project, which was shot across 18 days in location in Los Angeles in March 2023.
“When we were shooting, the buzz was already very much around Pedro and his career had gone stratospheric, so we all felt very honored to have him come and do our small movie,” she admits. “Walton, meanwhile, was always a very respected and loved actor and his star is definitely shining very brightly at the moment after the success of The White Lotus.”
While the film premiered in SXSW last year, reviewed well and received small theatrical releases in the U.S. and UK, the project failed to garner any traction at the box office. Having released in the UK last weekend across 100 cinemas, it grossed just £17,202 from cinemas. While of course disappointing, Fellner is conscious that setbacks in the indie film business are not for the faint-hearted and is determined to build a business that will look to champion bold, creative and new voices.
“The independent market is tough,” she admits. “But I think the only way to be an independent producer at the moment is to find the positive in it. The whole film industry has taken such a battering and there are so many factors that have contributed to that – Covid, the strikes and the way people consume content have all had a lasting effect on the market. But you have to be in it for the long haul.”
She adds: “I really do believe that there are opportunities for independent creatives – it’s just a lot of work and you’ve got to be willing to pull your sleeves up.”
Up next, Fellner is prepping for psychological thriller Trash TV from first-time director Danny Lee, which is set to shoot in Sunderland, UK, next month. She’s producing alongside Gail Lyon, whose credits include Erin Brocovich and Destination Wedding. “She’s a doyenne and a huge inspiration for me – I’m learning so much from working with her,” says Fellner.
‘The Uninvited’
She adds: “We’re really leaning into bringing production out of the London region and using all the local talent and we’re teaming up with Sunderland University and using a local company called Turnover 25 to work with up-and-coming talent in the area, which is really rewarding.”
Fellner describes the project as a “Falling Down meets Jerry Springer”, which spans the downfall of a talk show host who “is basically erupting from the inside.” “It’s a dark drama with a satirical side to it,” she says, adding that she has another 15 projects across film and television currently in development.
Working with new talent is pivotal for Fellner as she looks to build her indie shingle. “I don’t think the film industry should be a closed book and there is so much brilliant and new talent out there. As an actor, I always hated it when there were no doors open for people to walk through, and I think it’s vital to support people in the beginning. I’ll always be passionate about supporting first time filmmakers as I grow the business.”
She continues: “At the moment, I am focusing on gathering momentum and continuing to work with great talent. I hope that I can attract talent that I want to work with and bring people that are more experienced than me to projects whilst also championing people that I can bring my experience to.”
