Hitting theaters today, The Royal Hotel is a brutally effective step-up for Green and Latham. They had a few extra hours to shoot here than on their first movie—amounting to a still very limited 21 full days—and took advantage of the expansive landscapes and culture of their native Australia, as they follow thirty-something American friends Hanna and Liv on a backpacking trip that winds up going terribly awry in the Outback.
We were very specific about the way we cover all those events. We’re trying to be with her and her perception at all times. That ends up informing a lot of our choices. That was the biggest rule—it only existed in the way she would see it. If she’s not looking at it, we don’t shoot it. Latham: Both The Assistant and this had very tight schedules, so Kitty and I storyboard basically everything as much as we can.