Pretty Lethal
Short description
Five ballerinas traveling to a dance competition are stranded in a remote forest after their bus breaks down. They seek shelter at a sinister roadside inn managed by Devora Kasimer, a former ballet star. As they realize they are in danger, the women must set aside their personal conflicts and use their rigorous professional training and discipline as tools for survival to escape the establishment.
The film was directed by Vicky Jewson, following her 2019 film Close. The screenplay was written by Kate Freund and produced by David Leitch, Kelly McCormick, and William Bindley. The main cast features Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika Vandanapu, and Michael Culkin. The production was a collaboration between companies from the United Kingdom, Hungary, and the United States, including Amazon MGM Studios and 87North Productions.
Released on March 13, 2026, the movie has a runtime of 89 minutes and blends elements of action, comedy, horror, music, and thriller. It has received a generally positive reception from viewers, holding a rating of 6.8/10 on TMDB based on 502 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds plays Chloe, a deaf ballerina. Simmonds insisted from the very beginning that her character be deaf, and director Vicky specimen eventually agreed. Simmonds rehearsed her fight scenes using sign language. To play Zoe, Chloe's hearing sister, actress Iris Apatow learned sign language.
- Screenwriter Kate Freund described the world of ballet so convincingly and in such detail because she had studied ballet herself in the past.
- Filming took place primarily in Hungary. Production designer Tibor Lazar oversaw the construction of the tavern sets, featuring stone arches and wrought-iron elements. The designers specifically selected wood types and velvet colors for the interiors to create a visual contrast between grandeur and general decay.
- For the ballerina's metal costume shown in the finale, costume designers Ildikó Andó and Diana Marton used 3D-printed titanium elements. Visually, these elements complemented Uma Thurman's character's prosthetic limb perfectly, rather than attempting to camouflage it.
- Training for the actors began approximately one month before filming started in Budapest. The actors worked simultaneously with stunt coordinators from 87North Productions and choreographers. Each actress was assigned both a stunt double and a dance double. Since Maddie Ziegler and Lana Condor had previously studied ballet, they were given the more complex fight scenes.
- Uma Thurman was provided with a set of custom protective pads, which she wore during a three-month course of specialized training before filming. She learned to view the prosthetic limb not as an obstacle, but as a part of her body and a central element of movement.
- At the start of the project, director Vicky Jenson spent a great deal of time with the Royal Ballet of Great Britain, speaking with prima ballerinas and filming rehearsals. The result was the film's signature fighting style, dubbed "ballet-fu," which combined elements of ballet and kung fu, where every combat move began with a ballet pas.
- The dancers wore ballet flats equipped with blades, which were used in the corresponding scenes. Wearing such footwear for many hours at a time caused serious discomfort, and after approximately five or six hours, their feet would begin to go numb.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
