Courteney Cox has opened up about what inspired her to direct Evil Genius.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the Friends alum landed her first feature directing role in 12 years after a chance encounter with Barbara Schroeder, director of the Netflix documentary Evil Genius, at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
“I was at the Beverly Hills Hotel sitting at the counter; my favorite spot in the corner. I saw [Schroeder], and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I love Evil Genius. You did such a great job,’” Cox said at THR’s Studio at 1 Hotel during TIFF, presented by sponsor Canada Goose.
The Scream star stated, “She said, ‘It’s available to direct.’ She goes, ‘You should run with it.’ We had a good relationship before. … I made a lot of deals there [at the Beverly Hills Hotel], and made a lot of money there. It’s just interesting.”
Cox jokingly added that those deals were always “at the counter,” “I can’t get inside the poker room.”
Her chance encounter sparked the idea, but Evil Genius took eight years to develop before filming began in 2025, spanning the COVID-19 lockdowns and 2023 Hollywood strikes.
Despite facing the continuous struggle, Cox “couldn’t let [the story] go because I loved it.”
Starring Patricia Arquette, David Harbour, Michael Chernus, Garret Dillahunt and Danielle Macdonald, the film revisits the 2003 “pizza bomber” case that led to Brian Wells’ death.
“We got these two amazing actors,” Cox said.
She added, “I knew there was a story beneath the headlines that was really emotional and touching and terrifying and all of the things, and I’ve got the best actors to play the parts.”
Cox’s daughter, Coco, and Arquette’s daughter, Harlow, also appear in small roles. Cox told the outlet that Coco has a love for performing.
Evil Genius premieres at TIFF on Saturday, September 12.
