Courteney Cox Says She Decided to Direct ‘Evil Genius’ After Chance Encounter at the Beverly Hills Hotel: “I Made a Lot of Deals There”

Fans may have the Beverly Hills Hotel to thank for Courteney Cox’s newest project. 

The Friends alum revealed that she was approached about directing Evil Genius, her first feature film as a director in 12 years, after accidentally running into Barbara Schroeder, who directed the Netflix documentary of the same name, at the iconic hotel in Beverly Hills. 

“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 The Hollywood Reporter’s Studio at 1 Hotel during TIFF, presented by sponsor Canada Goose. “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.” 

Cox’s chance encounter sparked the idea to direct, but it took years to get Evil Genius off the ground. The Scream star told THR that the film was in development for “eight years” through the COVID-19 lockdown and the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes before going into production in 2025.

Despite facing significant obstacles, Cox “couldn’t let [the story] go because I loved it.”

The film, which stars Patricia Arquette, David Harbour, Michael Chernus, Garret Dillahunt and Danielle Macdonald, follows the true crime story of the 2003 “pizza bomber” case that resulted in the death of Brian Wells. 

“We got these two amazing actors,” Cox said, referencing Arquette and Harbour, who also visited THR’s studio on Friday. “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 was joined by her daughter, Coco, and Arquette’s daughter, Harlow, who both have small parts in the film. The Shining Vale actor told THR that Coco loves to perform. 

“Coco, she’s got a little scene in the movie, and Harlow, Patricia’s daughter, is young Marge,” Cox said. “Coco’s really sweet, too. … Coco loves acting so much that she was so happy to be there. It’s amazing.” 

“She’s been studying since she was so little, and doing shows and plays,” Arquette added of Coco. “She’s the only one… well, her and David, who did a lot of musical theater, and all of this. She just finished her first other movie. So, it’s very exciting. They’re fifth-generation actresses, our little daughters.”