The film was announced in April 2022, with Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson starring, Jonathan Jacobson writing the screenplay, and Nicol Paone set to direct.[5] In April 2022, it was announced that Joe Manganiello was cast. In May 2022, Dree Hemingway was revealed to have joined the cast.[6] That same month, reality television star Leah McSweeney was revealed to be making her feature film debut in the project,[7] and shortly afterwards Maya Hawke was announced as working with her mother, Thurman, on a project for the first time.[8] In June 2022, WWE wrestler Liv Morgan was announced to have joined the cast.[9]
Principal photography began in New York and New Jersey in early 2022.[10] Filming was reported in Hoboken at Field Colony, a coworking space within an art gallery that was used as the primary shooting location. The furniture was removed and flat floor-to-ceiling flat panels were installed to recreate a 'white box' art gallery.[11][12] Novado Gallery in Jersey City[13] was used as a secondary art gallery for the film. Filming was scheduled to finish in June 2022, but issues with weather caused a delay and a re-location to Lavallette, New Jersey in October 2022.[14]
Release
In July 2023, Shout! Studios acquired the North American rights to The Kill Room.[15] It was released in the United States on September 28, 2023.[16]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 61% of 28 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Kill Room's talented cast and broadly comedic tone make for a reasonably diverting caper, even if its attempts to satirize the art world don't amount to much."[17]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 58 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[18]
