Matrix villain Hugo Weaving plays sinister new role in Australian outback thriller starring Ozark’s Julia Garner – and the film is already receiving international acclaim
He was known as the ruthless villain in the Hollywood blockbuster The Matrix.
And now fan favorite Hugo Weaving will play a sinister role again in the new Australian feature film The Royal Hotel.
The outback thriller, starring Ozark actress Julia Garner and Game of Thrones star Jessica Henwick, revolves around two American backpackers who get stuck in a mining town in the middle of nowhere.
In the film’s new trailer, Weaving, 66, is barely recognizable from the soft film roles that made him famous.
With a gray beard and big belly, he plays the publican of the seedy Hotel Royal, where Yanks, Hanna (Garner) and Liv (Henwick) perform as bartenders.
Ozark actress Julia Garner (L) and Game of Thrones star Jessica Henwick (R), in a scene from the new Australian outback thriller The Royal Hotel
The outback thriller revolves around two American backpackers who get stuck in a mining town in the middle of nowhere
But instead of making a quick buck and enjoying an exotic vacation in the backcountry, the women in their twenties must deal with harassment from the rough-and-tumble locals.
Based on the preview, fans can look forward to an intense experience as the situation for the two tourists becomes increasingly desperate.
Meanwhile, Billy (Weaving) seems useless when it comes to keeping up with his out-of-control clientele.
At one point in the trailer, Garner’s character becomes so desperate that she grabs an axe to ward off unwanted attention from the mostly male population of the wild outback town.
Also joining the cast are James Frecheville (Animal Kingdom, 2010) and INXS: Never Tear Us Apart star Toby Wallace.
Inspired by the 2016 documentary Hotel Coolgardie, the film is directed by Australian filmmaker Kitty Green.
Hugo Weaving plays a sinister outback tax collector in the new film
Julia Garner rose to fame in the Netflix drama series Ozark. Pictured: Garner on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023
The South Australian-made Aussie film, which premiered at Italy’s prestigious Venice Festival earlier this month, received critical acclaim from international critics.
The Hollywood Reporter said the cast and film “hit no sour notes” in their tale of toxic masculinity.
Many reviewers favorably compared The Royal Hotel to another Australian film about a nightmarish outback experience, the 1971 classic Wake in Fright.
The Royal Hotel will be shown at the Adelaide Film Festival next month, followed by a general release.
Many reviewers favorably compared The Royal Hotel to another Australian film about a nightmarish outback experience, the 1971 classic Wake in Fright (pictured)