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Home , Bella Heathcote, Charles Baker (actor), Dakota Fanning, Jena Malone, Liv Corfixen, Man of Tai Chi

GAUMONT, WILD BUNCH AND

Present

A Space Rocket Production In association with Vendian Entertainment LLC and LLC

THE NEON DEMON

A FILM BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN

Official Selection: TBD

PRESS NOTES (DRAFT – 3/21/16)

XXX mins | Rated TBD | Opens XX/XX/XX (NY/LA)

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SYNOPSIS

When aspiring model Jesse moves to , her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will use any means necessary to get what she has in , the new horror thriller from Nicolas Winding Refn. The Neon Demon stars (Maleficent, Super 8), (Inherent Vice, series), (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Dark Shadows), (Gods of Egypt, Max Max: Fury Road), Karl Glusman (Love, Stonewall), (, series), (“Mad Men,” ), Desmond Harrington (“Dexter,” The Dark Knight Rises), Alessandro Nivola (A Most Violent Year, American Hustle), and Charles Baker (“,” Wild). The Neon Demon is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising, Drive, ) and co-written by Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws and , based on a story by Nicolas Winding Refn. It is produced by Lene Børglum (Dogville, Only God Forgives), Sidonie Dumas, and Vincent Maraval. Executive producers are Christophe Riandee, Brahim Chioua, Christopher Woodrow (Birdman, Killer Joe), Michael Bassick (Bernie, The Ten), Steven Marshall, Michel Litvak (Whiplash, Drive), Gary Michael Walters (Whiplash, Drive), Jeffrey Stott (2 Guns, Drive),Rachel Dik (Old Fashioned), Victor Ho (The World Made Straight, Fast Food Nation), Manuel Chiche, Matthew Read, and Thor Sigurjonsson . Co-Producers are K. Blaine Johnston and Elexa Ruth. It features cinematography by Natasha Braier (The Rover, The Milk of Sorrow), editing by Mat Newman (Drive, Only God Forgives), production design by Elliott Hostetter (Spring Breakers), costume design by Erin Benach (Drive). Music is by (Drive, Spring Breakers, Only God Forgives), casting by Nicole and Courtney Bright and Sound Design by Eddie Simonsen and Anne Jensen.

2 A Space Rocket production in co-production with Gaumont and Wild BunchThe Neon Demon is a co-production between and France. The Neon Demon is rated XXXXX by the MPAA for YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. The running time is 117 minutes.

ABOUT THE FILM

THE DEMON RISES

In 2010, director Nicolas Winding Refn dazzled viewers around the world with his Los Angeles-set crime thriller Drive. Now, NWR returns to the “city of dreams” for an incisive and unsettling look at its intense and often vicious culture of beauty in the bold new horror thriller The Neon Demon. The second film in a two-picture deal between Space Rocket, NWR’s production company with producing partner Lene Børglum, and French film financing entities Wild Bunch and Gaumont, The Neon Demon first arose in NWR’s mind long before production commenced on the first film in their deal, 2013’s Only God Forgives. “For a number of years, I’ve had this interest in making a film about beauty, because, [in my life], I’m surrounded by it,” NWR says, referring to his wife, filmmaker (My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn), his two young daughters, and, presumably, the myriad actresses and models he’s encountered directing both feature films and fashion advertisements for brands like Gucci, YXL, H&M and Hennessey. “And I see a lot of female empowerment with beauty.” In addition to his desire to make a film about beauty, NWR also held a long-gestating interest in the horror genre, something he was naturally led to upon further meditation on the subject of the power of beauty, particularly its darker side. “The currency of beauty continues to rise and never falls. And, as we evolve the lifespan of beauty becomes more limited, while our obsession with it

3 becomes more and more extreme.” According to NWR, this obsession can often lead to a unique kind of madness. To illustrate this, NWR references Narcissus, the subject of ancient Greek myth who became so enamored with his own beauty he drowned in its reflection. NWR describes the current digital revolution as representing “the liquid Narcissus sees himself in and falls into.” Its resulting images, often achieved though digital enhancement, are impossible to achieve and yet “people create their own insanity in the search for it.” Fertile ground for exploring tales of madness and obsession, the horror genre emerged the perfect vehicle for NWR’s blossoming tale. But before beginning his initial foray into the genre, the director would undergo a thorough examination of it – a task he undertook with guidance from his friend, BBC executive and Only God Forgives executive producer Matthew Read. “With [Matthew], we started to really try and understand why horror films work and why they don’t work and the various sub-genres. And then to really break [the ] down into a mathematical equation,” says NWR. Known for both embracing and subverting such well-worn genres as the prison drama (2008’s Bronson), the historical adventure (2010’s Valhalla Rising), the action thriller (2011’s Drive), and the revenge drama (2013’s Only God Forgives), NWR was similarly curious to see if he could both honor and defy the “horror movie” equation with his developing story. “Was there a way to hit all of the basic genre beats, but not necessarily in the right order?” And could he “make a horror film without the horror?” Another challenge was crafting his first female-centric narrative. Although NWR’s past films have included strong supporting female characters - like ’s vulnerable young mother in Drive and ’s manipulative one in Only God Forgives - NWR had never developed a film with a female lead, let alone four of them. To help give voice to The Neon Demon’s quartet of young female characters, NWR sought collaboration with a young female writer – preferably one with a background in the more dialogue-intensive world of theater. After

4 directing three films he describes as “silent,” NWR sensed The Neon Demon would be a more dialogue-driven affair and wanted someone strong in that area. NWR found all three qualities in two female writers from opposite sides of the Atlantic: one a well-known British playwright, the other an up-and-coming American one. His first collaborator was -based playwright Polly Stenham, who came to international theater-world attention at the precocious age of 21, when her debut play “That Face” premiered at London’s in 2007 to rave reviews and earned her the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright and the Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright (2008). The second was Texas-born playwright Mary Laws, a recent graduate of the prestigious Yale Drama School already gaining traction in the industry for her bold and innovative student plays. On the recommendation of his agent, NWR read Laws’ work and, impressed, reached out to her. Although NWR had basic story and character ideas in mind at the outset of the script’s development, Stenham and Laws helped him build a full-bodied – and full-blooded – narrative around them. Reflecting on the experience of working with two different writers at distinct phases of their careers – and from differing parts of the world, NWR says, “Both women were absolutely wonderful to work with because of their differing approaches. And each brought a distinct perspective that helped mold the script in very interesting ways." Once production began on The Neon Demon, the story continued to evolve, a process common on all of NWR's films and a unique creative benefit of shooting in chronological order.

NEON BEAUTIES

While serving on the 2014 Cannes Film Festival jury, NWR told fellow juror and filmmaker about his next project: the female-driven horror thriller The Neon Demon. She, in turn, advised him to get in touch with Los

5 Angeles-based casting directors Nicole Daniels and Courtney Bright (Afternoon Delight, The Guest, The Bling Ring), whom she cited as having a knack for finding exciting up-and-coming young talent. During their first meeting, Bright recalls NWR stating that the most important thing to him was getting the best actor for the job. “He really was not tied to having A-list stars for any reason. If that ended up happening, he was thrilled; but if it didn’t, he was equally as happy. So he really just wanted us to introduce him to the best actors out there.” The first and most pivotal role to cast with Jesse, a seemingly innocent young beauty from small town Georgia whose character slowly starts to transform as her modeling career takes off. NWR immediately had Elle Fanning in mind for the part. “To me, Elle Fanning is a blend of the greatest silent movie stars of the past and the most cutting edge actresses of today. She has this magnificent ability to transform herself. NWR adds: “And the camera just loves her." Fanning was equally thrilled about the proposition of working with director NWR. “I was a huge fan of Nic’s already. I’d only seen Drive but I knew [it] very well because when I was making a film in South Africa…they didn’t have many channels and there was one movie channel and [Drive] was the only movie they played, so I can pretty much quote that movie. So I was definitely a superfan. And then when I heard that Nic wanted me to meet…I was so excited. [Whatever] he was going to do, I would have one hundred percent jumped in and definitely done it.” When NWR told her that the film’s storyline would revolve around models and fashion, however, her enthusiasm spiked, being not only a fashion fanatic but someone inadvertently involved in that world. “I’m a huge fan of the whole fashion world,” Fanning says. “And, being an actor and a young girl in movies…in a weird way, fashion goes along with it because you go to red carpet things and you need to look good and wear certain designers.”

6 Fanning was also excited about playing a less innocent kind of “beauty” than she did as Princess Aurora in 2014’s blockbuster hit Maleficent. “You always want to do something very different….and, in a weird way, people could think that [Jesse’s] very princess-like and sweet - but she’s not.” To prepare for the role in his horror thriller, NWR instructed Fanning to watch a series of films - but not just in the horror genre. “I watched Valley of the Dolls and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. They’re huge inspirations for the film, especially Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. I had never seen that movie and I was watching it on my computer. I was like, this is the craziest thing I’ve ever [seen]!” In addition to her enthusiasm for her own role, Fanning appreciated the fact that The Neon Demon script was “all about the girls.” Fanning says: “There are guys in it, but the girls are the main characters, which is really cool. I like the ‘girl power’ element.” Contributing to this “girl power” element is a strong female-led cast that includes Jena Malone in the role of Ruby, an L.A. makeup artist who is the first of a triumvirate of vicious beauties to fall under the spell of Fanning’s beauty. Like Fanning, Malone began acting at a young age, and her recent credits include a mix of both big-budget studio hits like Contact and The Hunger Games series, and indie favorites like and Into the Wild. Malone brought her extensive acting experience to bear during her initial meeting with NWR, where, casting director Nicole Daniels says, “She probably gave one of the best auditions any of us have ever seen.” According to NWR, Jena also became “very instrumental in creating the Ruby character because the Ruby character was more of an enigma at the script stage. So I needed someone that could transform and mutate into her.” In preparation for her role, Malone consulted with a close makeup artist friend. “I played with her makeup - on her and on me - and got familiar with her kit and the setup.” In addition to practicing applying makeup on the living, Jena also volunteered at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery morgue, since her character moonlights as a mortician.

7 “I was working with the head mortician at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Steve Murillo, and I basically ended up getting to work on bodies with him, which was immense. [That] was a new thing for me,” Malone says. Working on a living body, albeit her own, is a full-time occupation for model Gigi, a self-professed plastic surgery addict and the second in Demon’s trio of covetous beauties, played by up-and-coming Australian actress Bella Heathcote. Like many of her fellow Aussie actors, Heathcote began her career on the soap opera “” before coming to international attention for her role as Victoria Winters in ’s big-budget adaptation of the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. For Bella, the role of the obsessively vain and wickedly humorous Gigi marks a welcome break from playing sweet-natured characters like Victoria. “I always get cast as the girl next door or something sweet or lovable. So it’s pretty fun to play someone evil or with those tendencies” Asked whether she could relate to the character’s extreme level of vanity, Bella says, “I’d like to think I’m not quite as obsessed with my appearance as Gigi is, but her practical approach to things - I can relate to [that]. She sees herself like a hotrod or a really great car - and she’s beautiful. But why [settle] for a beautiful car when you can soup it up and add things to it and make it even more extraordinary?” According to Bright, “[Bella] also brought a certain intelligence to the role. Same with Abbey. When Abbey auditioned, we were like: ‘This is a no-brainer. This girl has to be in the movie. She has to play Sarah.’ Following her breakout performance in the international box office smash Mad Max: Fury Road, Abbey Lee continues her bold and successful transition from the world of modeling to acting with her new role as Sarah, whom she describes as the most “primal” of the three vicious beauties seeking to devour Jesse’s beauty. The still new nature of her transition from modeling to acting did, however, give Lee initial pause about taking the part. “There was… a concern about playing a role like this, coming from the background that I have [in modeling] and

8 trying to break away from it,” she says. Nevertheless, Nicolas’s past work and high regard in the industry “made me want to be a part of it.” Despite shooting commercials in the high-end fashion world, NWR was not as familiar with Lee’s extensive modeling background as his family and leading actress. “It wasn’t until my wife told me that she was a big supermodel that I [learned about] her past. I just saw her at a cold reading and she was very good – and very beautiful. But very fragile. And that’s what the character needed.” Elle Fanning recalls being star-struck upon first meeting Lee. “When I was little, I would go on Style.com and I knew all the models - and Abbey Lee was giant. She did all the campaigns and walked in all of the shows. So when I heard she was doing it, I was freaking out. To me, it was like meeting Beyoncé. She’s like, mega.” During the making of the film, Abbey’s modeling experience would prove an asset to the film’s talent, both in front of and behind the camera. “I kept asking her for advice because she obviously knows the modeling world,” Fanning says. “Like, what do [models] wear to the castings? And she had to teach me how to do the [runway] walk. She showed me how to place the hands and how to do the model walk.” Her enthusiasm still fresh, Fanning exclaims: “I went to modeling school with Abbey Lee!” On a darker note, Abbey helped costar Bella Heathcote understand that the sometimes-savage nature of the modeling industry they were bringing to life was in fact grounded in reality. “I don’t come from that background but from what Abbey has told me, it seems pretty accurate. It’s pretty ruthless,” says Heathcote. Costume designer Erin Benach also credits Abbey’s with being “really great at helping me with the whole modeling world because she is an established model. So she [would] look at my boards and say, ‘I totally wore that when I was first staring out,’ or ‘I don’t think it’s chic enough for her.’”

SUPPORTING THE DEMON

9 Like the film’s lead quartet, The Neon Demon’s supporting cast includes an intriguing mix of industry veterans and newcomers - plus a returning NWR player. Among the film’s more seasoned cast members is actor Keanu Reeves. Praised for the unexpected casting of nice guy comic actor as a murderous L.A. gangster in Drive, NWR goes for a similar bit of against-type casting in The Neon Demon, hiring internationally known movie star Reeves as failed actor-turned-seedy motel manager Hank. For NWR, the chance to work with Reeves was both exciting and long overdue. “The minute [his] name came up, I was like, that would be the best. And [it was] a way for me to complete a full circle because Keanu and I had met about ten years ago [on] my first big job in Hollywood. That film never materialized…but I always wanted to revisit the [chance] to work with him. And it’s just been really great. Very few actors have the pop icon status that he has and the ability he has as an actor, combined with [a] bona fide movie star aura.” An avowed fan of NWR’s films, Reeves savored the opportunity to work for the director and play a character he humorously refers to as “the menacing motel manager.” Further elaborating on his character, Reeves calls him “kind of like a guy with bark but no bite. But then he ends up having a little bit of bite. And I like the humor of the character as well. I don’t know if that will come across but hopefully people will enjoy Hank.” For Elle Fanning, who calls Keanu “the sweetest guy…so unlike his character,” the actor’s presence made for a particularly memorable 17th birthday on set. “My birthday’s April 9th and on April 8th we filmed until midnight. So at midnight they brought out two cakes and they all sang happy birthday. [And] Keanu Reeves sang happy birthday to me. It was so nice,” she recalls, giggling like the teenage girl she is. Bringing intensity to another mysterious and potentially menacing male figure in Jesse’s life is actor Desmond Harrington, who portrays the fashionable fashion photographer Jack. Best known for his work on TV’s “Dexter” and

10 “Gossip Girl,” and the cult horror film Wrong Turn, Harrington impressed NWR with his appropriately “mysterious” quality. “The Jack character was probably the hardest to cast because he was more or less a blank canvas in my mind,” NWR recalls. “And then Desmond came in - I think two days before we were to start shooting that role - and when I saw him, it was more like, now there’s a mystery to [Jack] because Desmond is a very enigmatic personality.” Although Harrington has gotten to know a lot of well-known fashion photographers during his time in the business and living in New York, he chose not to base his performance on any particular one. “We’re not playing into the idea of what a fashion photographer should look like and how he should be dressed. I’m from New York and I have a New York accent and we leave it that way. And I think that works. And you can credit Nicolas’s casting me for that.” Less a threat to Jesse and more of a colorful mentor is fashion designer Robert Sarno, played by Alessandro Nivola (A Most Violent Year, American Hustle), who shot his role in between appearances on Broadway and, later, on London’s West End, in the 2014 revival of Bernard Pomerance’s “The Elephant Man.” Of Nivola’s casting, NWR says, “During the casting process, Alessandro came in to test and he was so good. But I couldn’t hire him because shooting in chronological order created a scheduling conflict. So I literally created a new character for him to play simply because I wanted him in the film.” NWR was also intent on creating an opportunity to reunite with his Drive star Christina Hendricks (TV’s “Mad Men”), who here portrays Roberta Hoffman, head of Jesse’s modeling agency. “[My wife] Liv and I are huge fans of anything Christina Hendricks and I wanted her to be in the film so I created a cameo appearance for her,” NWR says. Hendricks describes her characters as “a typical model agent, but she’s found herself in Los Angeles, rather than New York or Paris or London, where it sort of really counts. So she’s trying to sort of peacock herself about Los Angeles - as if she’s a bit more important than she is - even though she’s probably a joke

11 to people in New York. But when she sees Jesse, she’s like, I’ve really got something and now people will know who I am.” Part of the fun of the role for Hendricks was playing what she calls a “completely different character” from the quietly scheming, street clothes-wearing Blanche in Drive. Here, Hendricks utters delectable dialogue - stating the dos and don’ts of the modeling world to Jesse - and gets to wear a stylish “Stella McCartney raspberry pantsuit.” Casting directors Nicole Daniels and Courtney Bright auditioned “every boy in town” for the role of the sweet and handsome aspiring photographer Dean. Newcomer Karl Glusman (Stonewall, Love), however, was the standout. “Karl was the one we thought was new and fresh,” says Daniels. NWR had been tipped off to Glusman’s talent by filmmaker friend Gaspar Noé, who worked with Karl on the controversial romance Love, but he admits: “I kind of put it off a little bit. And then Karl would contact me and I didn’t really respond. And we were running out of time and there was no actor that I wanted to use - so Karl came back from France and I said, ‘Let’s get him in and see how this works out.’ And Elle was going to be there for the reading. And Karl came in and it was like, ‘Oh my God, hire him.’ Adds Courtney, “Their chemistry - from the moment he walked in the room - was so obvious.” Rounding out the solid supporting cast is actor Charles Baker, who memorably portrayed Skinny Pete on TV’s “Breaking Bad,” and here plays Mikey, door-busting sidekick to Keanu Reeve’s motel manager.

DEMON CREW

For Nicolas Winding Refn, the decision to set his meditation on beauty and the fashion world in Los Angeles - as opposed to the more commonly regarded high-fashion centers New York or Paris - was born out of considerations both practical and creative. “It was a combination of two things: After [shooting Only God Forgives] in Bangkok, I wanted to do a film in Tokyo, and Liv said, ‘I’m not living in Tokyo.’ Then I asked her, ‘What’s a compromise?’ And she said, ‘L.A.’”

12 In terms of the creative impetus for setting the story in L.A., NWR says, “I’d been doing a lot of fashion work in L.A. so I got to see the fashion side of it. And, even though you might say high-end fashion is more based in New York or Paris, every part of the entertainment industry leads back to L.A.. So you can say L.A. is the gateway between all entertainment and the rest of the world. Shooting in Los Angeles, however, would present director NWR with a series of unique challenges; primary among them was finding a great crew on a small budget. “One of the first challenges in L.A. is that it’s an expensive city to shoot in. So it was difficult getting a crew for the amount of money I had. But I think that forced me to…really go outside of my comfort zone and work with people who are much more new and fresh; people who were on the verge of breaking into the industry in a much bigger way, which actually added to the movie.” NWR’s first key hire was Argentinean-born Natasha Braier, who had previously worked with such acclaimed international directors as Lucia Puenzo, Lynne Ramsay, Shane Meadows, Cédric Klapischand, and Claudia Llosa (on 2010’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee "The Milk of Sorrow") and had recently shot David Michôd’s "The Rover," an official selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. According to Producer Lene Borglum, “All of Nicolas’ films are meticulous in their visual design, and in this one, he was obsessed with making sure every set up felt like a fashion shoot.” This became NWR’s early, pivotal creative dictate for Braier and the other key department heads. With this in mind, Braier set out to find the perfect film lenses to enhance the natural beauty of the images she would be capturing on the Alexa digital camera. “I spent two months finding the right set of anamorphic lenses and then fixing them because I chose a very old set that not a lot of people use anymore. [They’re] called “Crystal Express” and they were made by Joe Dunton, [who is] a legend in the anamorphic field. They’re great because they’re very soft and gentle and cosmetic on the faces. And I needed the skins to be as close to those

13 [captured] on a fashion photo shoot - although those are always extremely corrected in Photoshop. But I knew [on our budget] we were not going to be able to treat the skins in post, so I had to do as much as I could in-camera.” A second key hire on the film was up-and-coming production designer Elliott Hostetter, who cut his teeth working in the art department on Joel and Ethan Coen’s True Grit (2010) and ’s The Tree of Life (2011), before segueing into production design on such films as the similarly female- centric Spring Breakers (2012). NWR describes the hiring of both Hostetter and Braier as “absolutely crucial in designing and creating the film.”

DRESSING THE DEMON

Another key hire on the film was costume designer and past NWR collaborator Erin Benach, with whom NWR created a new kind of style icon in ’s Driver character in 2011’s Drive. The two reteam on The Neon Demon, another L.A.-based project, albeit one with far more elaborate and extensive costume needs and, as a result, the chance to create a whole series of potentially iconic looks. NWR first told Benach about the film when it was still just a small, undeveloped concept. “He started telling me about this project…and I always knew it was fun, high fashion stuff,” Benach recalls. “And knew it would be a lot of fun to do.” When The Neon Demon finally commenced pre-production, NWR told Benach he wanted the film’s costume design to “really push the envelope and set the stage for high fashion – not fake high fashion.” This presented Benach with the dual challenge of both finding authentic pieces and then giving them an “elevated look that really feels like the high-fashion world.” Despite a limited budget, Benach was able to achieve these high-fashion looks thanks to creative partnerships with a series of top-tier design houses, including Giles Deacon of London. “They’ve given us amazing pieces, including the key piece that Elle wears in the fashion show. And YSL [Yves Saint Laurent]

14 is working with us. And Giorgio Armani. And Elle’s opening outfit is from Giorgio Armani.” Benach also worked closely with The Neon Demon’s other key talent to make sure the costumes reflected the film’s overall aesthetic and tone. “I talked with our production designer Elliott Hostetter and cinematographer Natasha Braier [to figure out] the moments of realism and suspended realism,” she says, adding, “And, [once] I knew those beats, I began filling in the looks – or what I imagined to be looks - for each of those moments.” Benach took her design cues mainly from current fashion and sought to avoid looks she felt were overly retro or referential. “I mean, we have references to The Valley of the Dolls. But, for me, it’s not about that; it’s about what is classic and now and that every girl is going to want to wear.” Benach was also careful to make sure that the costuming reflected the lead character’s individual personalities and character journeys. “For Jesse we went ‘sweet girl from Georgia’ with the flower dress. [Sarah] has traveled the world because she’s the most established model, so she’s a bit savvier. [With] Gigi it’s more about body consciousness, so the silhouette on her is kind of the most important thing. And [for] Ruby, it’s realism. I have makeup artist and they’re very much in the fashion world in a way so they can be fashion forward - but not in the model way.” The growing idea of Los Angeles as fashion center is something Benach can attest to based on her experience creating The Neon Demon’s myriad couture and streetwear looks. “Five years ago, you were like, can I hire a New York person to go to the showrooms? Now all the brands have showrooms here.”

CUTTING THE DEMON

To cut The Neon Demon, NWR enlisted longtime editing partner Matthew Newman, who helped bring such innovative editorial structure and texture to Bronson (2008), Valhalla Rising (2009), Drive (2011), and Only God Forgives (2013).

15 “When I first hired him [on the 2007 British TV movie ‘Agatha Christie's Marple’], I never imagined that our paths would be so intertwined,” says NWR. “But that was a great experience. And then I hired him to do Bronson and, from then on, he’s become very instrumental in helping me alter my ways of making films.” Newman himself credits their enduring collaboration to the fact that they’re both “…very open. I think [it’s] based on mutual trust, which I’ve learned, in this business, is pretty invaluable.” NWR places such trust in Newman that he engages him in the entire filmmaking process, from script development to post. “Matt doesn’t just edit my films during and after production; I bring him in during the script stage as a fresh pair of eyes to look at the screenplay and, later on, to supervise large parts of the post-production process.” He also likes to keep Newman close during production: “On Bronson, he stayed in a hotel room next to mine to do the editing; when we did Valhalla Rising, he lived in Copenhagen near my house; when we did Drive, I edited it in my house, so he stayed with me; on Only God Forgives, I gave him a hotel room to edit in next to mine; and, for The Neon Demon, I put him up in my pool house, which is where we edited the film.” Of this proximity, NWR says, “It helps me stay close to this force of creativity between us.” During production of The Neon Demon, NWR met with Newman each night after filming wrapped to go over the previous day’s edited footage and solicit his opinion on what was and wasn’t working. “He’d show me the day’s editorial work and…if he had any suggestions, or critical opinions, I always took them very seriously. And, a lot of the time, he had a good point,” says NWR. Newman says, “A big part of my job was to tell Nicolas when I thought [a scene] wasn’t working. If he agreed, he’d then have to figure out how, in the shooting schedule, he could do it again properly.”

16 In addition to evaluating individual scenes, NWR and Newman would also consider the overall shape the film was taking. “Because I was shooting in chronological order,” says NWR, “I could see the film unfolding in front of my eyes editorially – not just photographically – and that sometimes necessitated rewriting and/or making other logistical changes going forward.” He adds, “So it wasn’t just about looking at stuff with Matt; it was also about asking, ‘Where are we in the story and how is it flowing and what new direction could it or should it take?’ For example, half way through the movie, I changed my mind about one character’s fate – and this was really the result of sitting with Matt and reflecting on how the film was living and breathing and transforming into whatever it was essentially going to be.” “So Matt stays very close to the process, both literally and figuratively…and I really trust and value his feedback,” says NWR. On the subject of editing a more dialogue-intensive film for NWR, Newman says, “There’s definitely more chat in The Neon Demon because the story is a little bit more…day-to-day at the beginning. Then it becomes less so, and the dialogue falls away. And there are very long stretches of this film that are entirely visual. And that’s always the case [with Nicolas]: there will be visual, musical sequences.” On the challenge of editing a film more overtly in the horror genre, Newman says his approach was simply to “play it very quickly and quite lightly. And the film is quite light; It does have a lot of comedy in it. So I didn’t think too much about editing a ‘horror film,’ per se; We were just trying to make the story between the girls work.” He adds, “And, with horror, what I’ve found is that so much of what you perceive as being ‘horror’ in a film is really sound and score – and that’s the next phase of the movie.”

NEON MUSIC

17 To create the perfect musical soundscape for his first horror thriller, NWR reteamed with Cliff Martinez, who previously composed the celebrated scores for his films Drive and Only God Forgives, as well as for Liv Corfixen’s My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn. “We’re very good friends, so music is something that is introduced very early in the process and we talk about how we will use music and what kind of music,” says NWR. For Martinez, the process of collaborating with NWR is unique for the business: “On Drive, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon, Nicolas actually sent me the script and talked about the film long before he ever shot it. That’s unusual: Usually directors call you in five weeks before the film is finished and you have to get up to speed very quickly.” Early conversations with the director gave Martinez time to “let the idea of The Neon Demon ferment a little bit…and that long incubation period really helps the process a lot.” Initially, NWR filled his temp score with samples from the work of Hitchcock composer Bernard Herrmann (Psycho, Vertigo). Martinez recalls, “It completely threw me because it was anachronistic; it was orchestral. Honestly, I didn’t quite get it.” NWR quickly reassured him, “I don’t want the score to sound like that; I want it to feel like that.” In terms of overt direction from NWR, Martinez says, “Nicolas often described the film as being broken in half: the first half was what he called ‘melodrama’ -- and he used the word ‘romantic’; the second half was more firmly rooted in the horror genre. So those are the two flavors of the score: romance and horror.” Martinez set about composing the music for The Neon Demon on his preferred instrument, the keyboard, which he describes as “the key to unlocking the universe of electronic sound. I play a few other instruments – I’ll pick up a guitar or mallet percussion – but most of the writing takes place on a keyboard.” This was followed by “a lot of feedback and back-and-forth between myself and [NWR].” He adds, “It usually goes very slowly at first and then,

18 towards the end, it starts to pick up steam as you begin to gather your themes and motifs and you’re able to recycle them to an extent.” Martinez describes the finished score as “electronic in the sense that it’s almost all synthesizers. I did try to make it sound somewhat like the ‘70s: a vintage synthesizer sound. It’s pretty stark; it’s pretty minimalist. But the music probably has an even more prominent role than it did in Drive and Only God Forgives.” In terms of direct sonic influence, Martinez mentions Tim Krog’s score for the 1980 cult horror film The Boogey Man. “That was one that had a big influence. It’s a purely synth score. One of my film musicophile friends recommended that I listen to that score and I liked it. So it’s one I could say was a reference point.” Ultimately, Martinez finds common ground between his completed score and the initial Bernard Herrmann-centric temp score. “I think [Herrmann] is the original minimalist. He used very short repeating cellular musical ideas and I do too.” On composing in and around the film’s licensed songs – another celebrated component of NWR’s films -- Martinez says, “Usually, they just kind of go their separate ways…because the song choices are so eclectic that there’s no common denominator and it doesn’t really inform the score. Drive was different because four or five of the songs all sounded like they could have been created by the same artist, so I tried to compliment that retro ‘80s synth sound with the score.” For The Neon Demon, NWR includes a handful of licensed songs, including “Waving Goodbye” by (featuring Diplo), whom NWR describes as “one of the most uniquely gifted female artists,” and “Mine” and “Demon Dance” by NWR’s nephew, Julian Winding, whose music was previously featured in Liv Corfixen’s My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

SHOOTING IN THE NEON CITY

19 Principal photography on The Neon Demon commenced in Los Angeles, , on Friday, March 27, 2015, and wrapped on Friday, May 22, 2015. A rarity in the business - but common practice for director NWR - the film was shot in chronological order. “It’s a process I do for all of my movies because I like the fear of not being able to fully see how the film will turn out until the end, “ Refn says. On how this creative decision effects cast and crew, Refn says, “It forces everyone to submit themselves because it’s a constant organism that needs to be handled and needs to be touched and felt. And every day [there is] possible change. And that can both be very terrifying and very exhilarating at the same time.” For actress Elle Fanning, the experience of shooting in chronological order was an exciting first. “It’s the most incredible thing. Because what we shot yesterday is the memory of what the character has the day after. So you can really track your journey easily.” According to the film’s producer and partner in Space Rocket, shooting in order required a unique production strategy: “Usually on “regular” projects you go to one location and shoot all of the scenes that you have there. but we’re going away and coming back to locations because we’re holding them in between.” As a result, Ho adds, “Not only is he watching the movie develop, but the actors are discovering the characters.” “It’s one of the most cross-collaborative [experiences I’ve had],” recalls Jena Malone on how the open-ended process helped foster uniquely close collaboration between actor and director. “I don’t know where his ideas begin and my ideas are ending at this point.” “He’s definitely engaged me in discussion more than any other director about my character,” adds Bella Heathcote. “And if you ask questions, he likes to ask, ‘Why?’ He wants you to have your own ideas about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.” “Even if you’re wrong, which [is] most of the time, he doesn’t tell you you’re wrong,” says Abbey Lee. “He shows you what he means and what he

20 wants and you learn a lot going through those stages of trying to work out what you’re doing. So it’s important to get it wrong and then be guided to how it’s right.” “He’s a great mixture of opinion and collaborative,” adds Reeves. “So you get to throw around ideas and yet there’s direction there. And the guy’s got good taste.” For most of the film’s cast and crew, shooting in L.A. was an added bonus to the NWR experience. “I live in L.A.. So it’s nice to get to go back home every night,” says Elle Fanning mid-production, a sentiment echoed by some of the film’s other cast members, including local resident Christina Hendricks, who called the experience “easy and comfortable. It’s nice to stay home and work.” For actor Karl Glusman, shooting the film in Los Angeles signified a career first. “It’s the first thing I’ve ever shot in L.A.. I just moved here, actually. So that was kind of a step or milestone in my little short career.” Working in L.A. also gave the cast and crew a chance to reflect on the city as both aesthetic subject and cultural symbol. “I think it’s visually pretty extraordinary. It can look hideous but even the hideousness of L.A. is pretty fantastic, “says Bella Heathcote. “We shot in downtown the first week and it’s like being in in the 1940s.” “Each of the locations have a very powerful aesthetic,” adds Producer Lene Borglum, referring to the various historic locations shot in the film, which include Downtown L.A.’s Orpheum Theater, the American Cement Building on Wilshire Blvd., and the Paramour Mansion in Silver Lake. Even though Los Angeles has been the subject of films since the early 1900’s, Børglum is confident NWR will make even its more familiar icons seem fresh. “I’m sure Nicolas will find a very exciting way to show Los Angeles in a different way from how others portray it.” The pleasure of shooting in L.A. has also made some cast lament the fact that the city isn’t filmed enough - or in the right way. “Honestly, a lot of films don’t get shot in L.A. anymore, which is kind of sad; it’s like that Hollywood thing is kind of dying out,” says Fanning. Harrington adds, “It’s odd because there’s so

21 much that isn’t made about Los Angeles - and it does have a really interesting history to it.” Actress Jena Malone describes the city in more literary terms, stating: “Los Angeles doesn’t have as fleshed out an icon or myth built yet. So you get to build the myth a little bit.” When asked if he is ultimately making a movie about the reality of Los Angeles or some heightened version of it, NWR says, “I think that L.A. has two realities: the so-called ‘real’ reality and there’s the ‘artificial’ reality. The artificial reality is the illusion of Los Angeles and that’s something I find really exciting because it’s about mythology.” Behold the myth of The Neon Demon…

22

WHAT IS ‘THE NEON DEMON’?

“L.A., because of all the lights.” – Elle Fanning (Jesse)

“Otherworldly beauty, but [also] the dark underbelly of that.” – Jena Malone (Ruby)

“The industry and the city. It’s glossy and shiny but it will eat you alive.” – Bella Heathcote (Gigi)

“A demonic force…camouflaged in glitter and stilettos.” - Abbey Lee (Sarah)

“That kind of empty, shallow notoriety or celebrity that doesn’t really mean anything in the end and…eats people up and spits them out.” - Karl Glusman (Dean)

“There’s something about the light - you can call it artificial light, but I guess all light is artificial besides the sun - and the neon quality of it. [There’s] something about those colors that attracts and repulses at the same time. And then there’s the demon part. What is the demon within; what is the demon on the outside? Is it ego? It may be a fear of death. Or desire. It’s all sorts of fun stuff.” - Keanu Reeves (Hank)

“It makes me think of speed and a bunch of lights on . And the devil.” - Desmond Harrington (Jack)

“The dark underbelly of beauty and the things we would do for beauty.”

23 - - Christina Hendricks (Roberta) “You have to talk to Nic about the title.” - Mary Laws, co-writer

“A great cover for a fetish magazine.” - Nicolas Winding Refn, Director,

“Heading for the flashing light and the glamour but also that there’s something twisted and a darker side to it.” - Lene Børglum, Producer

“The word neon is a reflection of the location; the word demon is a reflection of the obsession.” - Rachel Dik, Executive Producer

“It feels a little bit banal to try and explain it because it’s kind of the essence of the movie and whatever I say in English is going to sound very cheesy.” - Natasha Braier, Cinematographer

“When you see neon lights, you think something is super glamorous. And I think that’s probably very misleading in most cases.” - Nicole Daniels, Casting Director

“The demon within is highlighted? I don’t know.” - Courtney Bright, Casting Director

“It’s going to be a title of one of the musical pieces.” - Cliff Martinez, Composer

“It means it’s scary, you know? And I think it’s exciting, you know?”

24 - Alex Uceda, Caterer (Alex in the Kitchen)

ABOUT THE CAST (FINAL CREDITS/CREDIT ORDER TBD)

ELLE FANNING (Jesse) 17-year-old Elle Fanning was seen starring in four movies in 2014. She starred alongside Angelina Jolie as Princess Aurora in the blockbuster fantasy Maleficent, directed by Robert Stromberg. She was also seen in Jake Paltrow’s sci-fi thriller Young Ones, with Nicholas Hoult, Michael Shannon, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. In Jeff Preiss’ Low Down, for which Ms. Fanning won the Best Actress award at the 2014 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival as well as the Spotlight Award at the 2014 Mill Valley Film Festival, she starred opposite John Hawkes and . In the autobiographical Story, she portrays real-life writer and memoirist Amy Albany, opposite John Hawkes as Amy’s father, celebrated jazz pianist Joe Albany. She also voiced the role of “Winnie” in Laika Entertainment and animated film The Boxtrolls. Elle began her acting career at the age of two, playing the younger version of her sister, opposite in Jessie Nelson’s . Her first lead role was as the title character of Daniel Barnz’s independent feature Phoebe in Wonderland, in which she starred opposite Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, and Bill Pullman. Ms. Fanning’s other films include Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Academy Award- nominated Babel, opposite Academy Award nominee Adriana Barraza; ’ The Door in the Floor, opposite , , and Jon Foster; Terry George’s Reservation Road, with and Jennifer Connelly; Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere, which won the Golden Lion Award for Best Picture at the 2010 Venice International Film Festival; ’s We Bought a Zoo; J. J. Abrams’ Super 8; Francis Ford Coppola’s Twixt; and ’s multi-Oscar-winning The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, in which she portrayed the younger incarnation of Cate Blanchett’s character, opposite .

25

She received British Award and Critics’ Choice Movie Award nominations for her performance in Sally Potter’s Ginger & Rosa, with Alice Englert, Christina Hendricks, Alessandro Nivola, and Annette Bening. She will next be seen this September in ’s Three Generations, in which she stars as a transgender teen opposite Naomi Watts and . She will also be seen this year in Trumbo for director Jay Roach and opposite Bryan Cranston, and Helen Mirren. The film will be released this November. This fall Ms. Fanning begins production on Mike Mills’ film 20th Century Women opposite Annette Bening and , followed by ’s Live By Night. When she is not working, Ms. Fanning attends a regular high school in Los Angeles. She also takes regular ballet lessons and loves to sing.

JENA MALONE (Ruby) As a rising actress distinguished by her versatility and multidimensional roles, Jena Malone continues to evolve with each new project. Later this year, Malone can be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, the fourth and final installment of the hugely popular Hunger Games franchise. She reprises her role as Johanna Mason, the tribute from District 7, who is proficient with an axe. The film will be released by on November 20, 2015. Malone can previously be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, which was released by Lionsgate in November 2014 and grossed over $750 million worldwide as well as the second installment of the franchise, The Hunger Games: which has grossed over $850 million dollars worldwide and is the highest grossing film released in 2013 in the United States. Malone can next be seen in 's Time Out of Mind starring alongside Richard Gere. The film is about a New Yorker (Gere) who enters a shelter when he runs out of housing options, then struggles to put the pieces of

26 his life back together and fix a troubled relationship with his estranged daughter (Malone). The film premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and will be released by IFC in September 11, 2015 She was last seen in 's Inherent Vice. Warner Brothers released the film on December 12, 2014. The film co-stars , Owen Wilson, Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin. The film premiered at the New York Film Festival. Additionally, Malone recently wrapped production on Mitchell Lichtenstein's Angelica, a psychological thriller set in 1880s London based on the novel of the same name by bestselling author Arthur Phillips (Prague,The Egyptologist). Malone will play Constance, a young shop girl who falls for and marries Dr. Joseph Barton. After the difficult childbirth of their daughter Angelica, doctor-ordered celibacy creates a rift in the Bartons' marriage and a ghostly force enters their home. Malone was cast to play the lead role in Dori Oskowitz's Claire. The American remake of Eric Rohmer's 1982 French pic Le Beau Mariage, follows an eccentric young woman in her twenties living in Long Island with her aunt and teenage cousin. Fed up with her married painter lover, Claire sets her sights on a man she barely knows with aims to get herself married. Malone starred opposite Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton in the History Channel's mini-series “Hatfields & McCoys” which is based on a true story, and chronicles the bloody hostilities between two clans that escalated to the point of near war between two states. The mini-series broke cable records and became the new most-watched entertainment telecast of all time on cable and also earned an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Mini-Series and a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Mini-Series. Previously, Malone starred in ’s Sucker Punch, Ami Mann's Dakota, Oren Moverman's The Messenger, Sean Penn's Into the Wild, Anthony Minghella's Cold Mountain, Brian Dannelly's Saved!, 's Pride and Prejudice, M. Blash’s The Wait, and Brian Savelson’s In Our Nature. As a young actress, Malone starred opposite and Susan Sarandon in Stepmom,

27 the cult classic, Donnie Darko, and her very first role in the independent film Bastard Out of Carolina, which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for “Best Debut Performance.” Malone has guest starred on several television series including Law & Order and Chicago Hope, and her performance in the TV film Hope earned Malone a Golden Globe® nomination for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV.” In Spring 2013, Malone directed her first music video for the band Lavender Diamond. The video for "The Incorruptible Heart" was released exclusively on MTV Buzzworthy. Malone recently toured with her band, The Shoe. Jena and her bandmate, Lem Jay Ignacio, met in 2008 and shortly after started recording together. Jena built an instrument she plays called “The Shoe” which includes an old steamer trunk with a plethora of electronic instruments inside. Their first EP "At Lem Jay's Garage" came out in 2009 under Jena's label There Was An Old Woman Records. Their full-length album “I'm Okay” was released in Spring 2014. Malone currently resides in Los Angeles

BELLA HEATHCOTE (Gigi) Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Bella Heathcote is emerging as one of Hollywood’s most sought after talents. In 2010, after being honored with the Scholarship Award for her performance in the Australian war epic, Beneath Hill 60, Heathcote moved to Los Angeles to further pursue her acting career, working with an impressive roster of award winning directors. Heathcote was named one of Variety’s “10 Actors to Watch” 2012. Heathcote recently wrapped production on the horror thriller The Neon Demon, about an aspiring model in Los Angeles having her youth and vitality devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has. Heathcote will co-star alongside Elle Fanning, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks and Jena Malone in the Nicolas Winding Refn directed film.

28 Heathcote will next be seen in the re-envisioned masterpiece Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, 's classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century now faced with a new challenge - an army of zombies. Heathcote will co-star alongside Lily James, Sam Riley, Lena Heady and Jack Huston in the film set to release in early 2016 by . Heathcote’s past credits include The Re-Write where she co-starred alongside Hugh Grant and Marissa Tomei; ’s feature film Not Fade Away, about a group of friends that form rock band in Suburban New Jersey, trying to make it big in the 1960’s. Heathcote was prior seen in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, as the romantic lead opposite . Bella was hand selected by Burton to play Victoria Winters and Josette du Pres in his film adaptation, released in 2012. In 2011 she was seen in Andrew Niccol’s sci-fi thriller, In Time, starring and Justin Timberlake. Heathcote made her feature film debut in the 2008 film Acolytes and is well known for her starring role on the Australian drama series “Neighbors.” Heathcote currently resides in Los Angeles.

ABBEY LEE (Sarah) Abbey Lee recently made her feature film debut alongside and Charlize Theron in George Miller’s post-apocalyptic film Mad Max: Fury Road, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures. Last year, she wrapped production on two films: the Lionsgate/Summit epic fantasy film Gods of Egypt alongside Gerard Butler and Geoffrey Rush and directed by Alex Proyas, and Brendan Cowell’s directorial debut feature film Ruben Guthrie, based on the hit play of the same name and also starring Patrick Brammall, Alex Dimitriades and Robyn Nevin. Prior to her acting career, Abbey was well known as a highly successful international model, working with designers including Karl Lagerfeld, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana. She has featured several times on the cover of Australian VOGUE.

29 KEANU REEVES (Hank) Keanu Reeves is one of Hollywood’s most sought after leading men, with a box office draw currently over $3.6 billion worldwide. Keanu recently completed production on four films, including the courtroom drama The Whole Truth starring opposite Renée Zellweger, Daughter of God, The Neon Demon and The Bad Batch. In 2014, Keanu starred in the hit John Wick, and Lionsgate recently announced that a sequel is in the works. Keanu will next be seen on the big screen in Knock, Knock from director Eli Roth in the fall of 2015. In 2013, Keanu made his directorial debut and starred in the Tai Chi action film, Man of Tai Chi. Keanu also recently starred in 47 Ronin, an 18th century story centered on a band of samurai who set out to avenge the death of their master. In 2012, the Reeves-produced documentary Side By Side, made its debut to critical acclaim. The documentary, which explores the history of filmmaking and the impact of new digital technology, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. In the film directed by Chris Kenneally, Keanu interviewed some of Hollywood’s major directors including , David Fincher, , George Lucas, , , Christopher Nolan, , and the Wachowski’s. His list of credits include the blockbuster The Matrix trilogy, Speed, Generation Um, Henry’s Crime, which he both starred and produced; The Private Lives of Pippa Lee written and directed by in a supporting role opposite Robin Wright; The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of the 1951 classic sci-fi film, starring opposite Jennifer Connelly; the cop thriller Street Kings opposite ; The Lake House, a romantic drama starring opposite , and A Scanner Darkly, a highly stylized blend of live-action and animation. Reeves also starred in the comic adaptation Constantine, opposite Rachel Weisz; the independent film Thumbsucker; and Something’s Gotta Give, a romantic comedy in which he starred opposite Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. Other film credits for Reeves include Hardball, The Gift opposite Cate Blanchett, for which he received critical acclaim; Sweet November, The

30 Replacements, A Walk in the Clouds; the hit thriller, Devil’s Advocate, opposite Al Pacino and Charlize Theron; Little Buddha, and Much Ado about Nothing, opposite , and Michael Keaton. Reeves also starred in Bram Stoker's Dracula, My Own Private Idaho, Point Break; and the very popular Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and it’s sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. Raised in Toronto, Reeves performed in various local theater productions and on television before relocating to Los Angeles. His first widely acclaimed role was in Tim Hunter's River's Edge. He then starred in Marisa Silver's Permanent Record, and with Amy Madigan and Fred Ward in The Prince of Pennsylvania. Yet another turn came when the actor was cast as the innocent Danceny in Stephen Frears' highly praised Dangerous Liaisons, alongside Glenn Close, John Malkovich and . He joined other outstanding casts that year in Ron Howard's comedy, Parenthood, and Lawrence Kasdan's I Love You to Death. Audiences saw Reeves for the first time as the romantic lead opposite Barbara Hershey in Jon Amiel's Tune in Tomorrow, also starring Peter Falk. His additional credits include Tri-Star’s sci-fi thriller, Johnny Mnemonic; Andrew Davis’ action film, Chain Reaction; and the dark comedy Feeling Minnesota, directed by Steve Baigelman for .

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS (Roberta Hoffman) is best known for her portrayal of ‘Joan Holloway’ on AMC’s critically acclaimed series “Mad Men.” Hendricks’ portrayal of ‘Joan’ has earned the actress five Emmy nominations in the category of ‘Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.’ “Mad Men” won the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Emmy Award for outstanding drama series, the 2009 Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Drama as well as the 2009 and 2010 Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Hendricks is a two time Critics Choice Television Award winner for her role as ‘Joan’ for “Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.” “Mad Men’s seventh and final season concluded on May 17th.

31 Hendricks can currently be seen in Comedy Central’s “Another Period.” The series is a historical satire that follows the lives of the obscenely rich Bellacourt family and their many servants in turn-of-the-century Rhode Island. Hendricks plays the overworked servant Celine alongside Paget Brewster, Natasha Leggero, Jason Ritter and Michael Ian Black. Hendricks is currently filming the series “Hap and Leonard” for the Sundance Channel. She recently wrapped production on the Showtime pilot “Roadies” for writer/director Cameron Crowe and producer JJ Abrams. “Roadies” follows the day-to-day life of a successful rock tour as seen through the eyes of the crew members who help get the show on the road. She costars alongside Luke Wilson and Imogen Poots. Hendricks can soon be seen in the Gilles Paquet-Brenner thriller, Dark Places. The film also stars Chloe Moritz and Charlize Theron, who is also a producer, and will be released on August 7th for . In addition, Hendricks will appear in Nicolas Winding Refn’s thriller The Neon Demon with Keanu Reeves and Abby Lee in March 2016. On the big screen, Christina has appeared in Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut, Lost River, John Slattery’s directorial debut, God’s Pocket, Sally Potter’s Ginger & Rosa, in which she starred opposite Annette Bening, Elle Fanning and Alessandro Nivola. Ginger & Rosa earned rave reviews at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival. Hendricks was also seen in the critically acclaimed feature from Film District, Drive. Drive, a joint production between OddLot Entertainment and Bold Films, for producer Marc Platt, also starred Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan. Drive received numerous award nominations including: National Board of Review, Independent Spirit Awards and BAFTA Awards; the film won Best Action Movie at the BFCA Critics Choice Awards. Hendricks’ additional film credits include Disney’s animated film The Pirate Fairy, the independent drama, Struck By Lightning, Tribeca thriller, Detachment, I Don’t Know How She Does It, Leoni, Warner Bros’ Life As We Know It, La Cucina, South of Pico and Driving Lessons. Her television credits include Showtime’s "Beggars and Choosers,” TNT’s "The Big Time,” NBC’s "ER," ABC’s

32 "The Court," UPN’s "Kevin Hill," CBS’s "Without a Trace” and "Cold Case," and recurring roles on Joss Whedon's "Firefly," "Notes From the Underbelly," and "Life." In 2011, Hendricks earned rave reviews on stage while seen in Stephen Sondheim’s production of “Company” for the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. She received rave reviews for her performance as flight attendant, ‘April.’ The New York Daily News stated, “The big yearning question: when can we get Christina Hendricks on Broadway? As the sex kitten ‘April,’ she proved herself a natural on stage.” Christina currently resides in both New York City and Los Angeles with her husband, Geoffrey Arend.

Born in Savannah, Georgia, DESMOND HARRINGTON (Jack) grew up in the Bronx, NY. On one of his first auditions, he booked The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), starring Mila Jovovich, John Malkovich and Dustin Hoffman and directed by Luc Besson. He then went on to star with James LeGros and Amber Valetta in Stacy Cochran’s Drop Back Ten (2000), which was in competition at the . His hard work paid off as Desmond has proven himself a star. First, he landed a recurring role on the popular CW show, “Gossip Girl,” alongside , Chase Crawford and Leighton Meester. Throughout the entire body of his work, Desmond is perhaps best known for his role as “Joey Quinn” on Showtime’s Golden Globe and Emmy winning hit “Dexter” for over six years. In between, Desmond also shot the dramatic film, Life is Hot in Cracktown, alongside Kerry Washington and directed by Buddy Giovinazzo. Over the years, Desmond has also starred in such shows such as “Law & Order,” “Rescue Me,” “Justified” and “Sons & Daughters.” He has made numerous feature appearances, including the 2012 worldwide smash hit The Dark Night Rises, directed by Christopher Nolan.

33 He recently wrapped shooting Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon and can currently be seen on ABC's hit series, “Astronauts Wives Club.” He currently resides in Los Angeles.

ALESSANDRO NIVOLA (Robert) began his acting career as an undergraduate at Yale, landing the lead role in a Seattle production of Athol Fugard's “Master Harold...and the Boys.” After college, he made his Broadway debut as the young lover of Helen Mirren in "A Month in the Country.” His breakthrough film role was in 1997 with ’s Face/Off, playing 's paranoid schizophrenic brother. Alessandro went on to star opposite Rachel Weisz in I Want You (1998) and continued to expand his range of work, appearing in the thriller Best Laid Plans (1999) and again as an Englishman in the screen version of the Jane Austen novel Mansfield Park (1999). In 2013, Alessandro landed a role in the outstanding, award-wining ensemble of David O. Russell’s American Hustle. In 2014, he appeared as corrupt business mogul Peter Forente in A Most Violent Year and in Selma. He recently co-starred in Zoe Cassavetes’ Day Out of Days.

KARL GLUSMAN (Dean) can soon be seen starring in Gaspar Noe’s Love, in theaters in the U.S. this fall and in Paris this July. The film premiered at Cannes 2015 where it garnered tremendous buzz and was considered one of the most provocative of the festival. In the sexual melodrama, Glusman plays the title character, Murphy, a young father caught between his current and past relationships. Later this year, Glusman will appear alongside , Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Joey King, Caleb Landry Jones and Ron Perlman in Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall, a coming-of-age film about a young man’s political awakening during the days and weeks leading up to the Stonewall Riots. He recently wrapped shooting Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon in which he stars opposite Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks, Jena Malone,

34 Abbey Lee, Bella Heathcote and Keanu Reeves. The film centers on an aspiring model (Fanning) who moves to Los Angeles and becomes the fixation of a beauty-obsessed group of women who will take any means necessary to get what she has. Previously, Glusman performed as Treplyov in The Alley Theatre’s production of “The Seagull”. His Broadway debut was in Lincoln Center’s production of “Golden Boy” at The Belasco Theatre. He later played Spike in The City Theatre’s production of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”. Glusman studied acting under William Esper and Wynn Handman at their respective studios. Raised in Portland, Glusman currently resides in Los Angeles.

CHARLES BAKER (Mikey) has left his mark in Hollywood and the homes of fans across the world as ‘Skinny Pete,’ a drug distributor that has been friends with Aaron Paul’s character since high school, on the hit AMC show “Breaking Bad,” which has been nominated for 151 awards and has won 48. Before stepping on Hollywood soil, Baker already had 37 credits to his name and now has moved to Los Angeles permanently with his wife and two children to pursue his craft, which he has been studying for over 20 years. A native of Washington D.C. and raised in Hawaii, Baker got his start acting in elementary and high school, always participating in school plays and musicals. During a stint as a member of a band in college, he overheard his bandmates talk about how he lacked any stage presence and he took it upon himself to improve and enrolled in acting classes. Years later, Baker can now be seen in a variety of television and film. Baker could be seen in some of television’s most anticipated productions including Fox’s “The Good Guys” opposite Colin Hanks, USA’s “In Plain Sight,” CBS mini series “Comanche Moon” alongside and Troy Baker, and the HBO television movie “Temple Grandin” opposite Claire Danes. Most recently, Baker could be seen NBC series “The Blacklist” opposite James Spader

35 as Spader’s confidante ‘Grey’ and the TNT series “Murder in the First” (2014) opposite Tom Felton and Taye Diggs. Notable film projects for Baker include To The Wonder, a Terrence Malick film, opposite Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem and Ain’t Them Bodies Saints opposite Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster. Fans of the multi-dimensional actor will soon be able to see Baker in a variety of other independent films including You Can’t Win as Fremont Older, (based on a real journalist) in a drama set in the 1920s centered around the unusual friendship between an adventurer and a young prostitute, opposite Hannah Marks, Michael Pitt, and Jeremy Allen White, Ad Inexplorata as Captain Frank Worsely, the captain of a supply station in space, and Eleven Eleven, as Tim Faris, a UFO fanatic desperately trying to prove to his family that abductions are real. Most recently, Baker stars alongside Reese Witherspoon in the highly acclaimed independent film Wild. Baker, who always seems to attract the gritty and dirty roles, is actually a family man at heart. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening with his wife and if you visit his backyard you’ll find tomatoes, peppers, artichokes plus herbs like basil and oregano. Baker, whose father was a decorated Colonel has travelled across the globe including England, Israel and all over the U.S. Baker is also a classically trained musician who received a vocal scholarship for college. He holds CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) For Children, out of Tarrant County, Texas as an organization that is close to his heart for the work they do in appointing advocates for foster children going through the court system.

36 ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS (FINAL CREDITS AND CREDIT ORDER TBD)

NICOLAS WINDING REFN (Director, Screenwriter) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1970. At age eight he moved to New York with his parents where he lived out his teenage years. At 17, NWR moved back to his native Copenhagen to complete his Gymnasium (High School) Education. Upon his school graduation, he swiftly flew back to New York where he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. However, this education was cut short when NWR threw a desk at a classroom wall and was expelled from the Academy. Consequently, he applied to the Danish Film School and was readily accepted. This education too was to be short-lived as one month prior to the start of term he dropped out. A short film NWR had written, directed and starred in was aired on an obscure cable TV channel and lead to the opportunity of a lifetime – he was spotted and offered 3.2 million kroners to turn the short into a feature. At only 24, NWR had written and directed the extremely violent and uncompromising, (1996). The film became a cult phenomenon and won him instant international critical acclaim in 1996. After the success of his debut, NWR wrote, produced, and directed his next film, Bleeder. Highly stylized and focused on introverted reactions to outward situations, this film was a marking point for the shaping of NWR's career. Bleeder premiered at the 1999 Venice International Film Festival. NWR's third feature, (2003) was his first foray into English language films. Starring and co-written by Hubert Selby, Jr, Fear X received its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was negatively received and failed at the box office, sending NWR into bankruptcy. The movie’s stormy career pushed famed journalist Henrik List to write a biography on NWR, spanning his earlier years from Pusher (1996) to Fear X (2003).

37 Determined to reignite his career, NWR somewhat reluctantly wrote, directed, and produced Pusher II (2004) and Pusher III (2005), as a result of the first movie's growing cult following. This turbulent time in the life of NWR and his wife, Liv Corfixen, was captured by filmmaker Phie Ambo, in her documentary Gambler, which premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2005. The subsequent success of Pusher II and III, along with the first, became the internationally renowned Pusher Trilogy, premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in 2005 and cementing it as a worldwide phenomenon. In 2008, NWR wrote and directed Bronson, an ultra-violent, surreal, escapist film following the real life landmarks and self-entrapment of Britain's most notorious criminal, Michael Peterson, who claims his alter ego is legendary actor Charles Bronson. The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and resulted in the world media calling NWR the next great European auteur. NWR next wrote, directed and produced Valhalla Rising, starring his long time collaborator, . Valhalla Rising is a film inspired by a story NWR’s mother read to him when he was young. The film premiered at the 2009 Venice Film Festival and led the world media to defined NWR’s filmic style as “Refn-esk.” Due to the success of both Bronson and Valhalla Rising, NWR was offered a two-picture deal with Wild Bunch and Gaumont, which was promptly interrupted by a strange meeting between NWR and Ryan Gosling, leading NWR to his next film, Drive. Drive premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011 where it won for Best Director and was a contender for the Palme d'Or. It was met with universal praise from both audiences and critics alike earning over $100 million worldwide. Following the success of Drive, NWR returned to his collaboration with Wild Bunch and Gaumont and wrote and directed Only God Forgives staring Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas. This film also premièred at Cannes Film Festival (2013) where it was a contender for the Palme d'Or. It was met with polarizing critiques, which ultimately and ironically lead to the film’s success. NWR’s wife, Liv Corfixen, offers an intimate look into their lives during the making

38 of this film through her documentary, My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn, which premiered at in 2014. In 2015, NWR wrote and directed, The Neon Demon, the second film in the two-picture deal with Wild Bunch and Gaumont. The film is scheduled to release in 2016.

LENE BØRGLUM (Producer) was one of the key executives and co- owner of Zentropa from its early start in 1992 and until 2007. Borglum was deeply involved in the development of Zentropa from its very start till its state in 2007 as a major European independent production company. She handled international financing on a large number of Zentropa's international films, including Lars von Trier's highly acclaimed and awarded films The Kingdom I and II (1994, 1996), The Idiots, Breaking The Waves (1996), Dancer in the Dark (2000), and was Executive Producer on Trier's Dogville (2003), Manderlay (2005), and The Boss Of It All (2006). After Borglum left Zentropa in 2007, she was executive producer on Swedish director 's first English language film Mammoth (2009) and Nicolas Winding Refn's Valhalla Rising (2009). After their successful collaboration on Nicolas Winding Refn's Valhalla Rising, Borglum and Refn teamed up to found production company Space Rocket in January 2008. In Space Rocket, Borglum has produced Refn's Only God Forgives (2012), starring Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas, Liv Corfixen’s My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (2014), Refn’s The Neon Demon (2016) and is in development with a number of other films.

MARY LAWS (co-writer) is a native of Texas. Her plays include “Bird Fire Fly,” “Blueberry Toast” (Yale School of Drama), “Wonderful” (Tympanic Theatre Company), “The Drive” (Tympanic Theatre Company), “What A Very Pretty Pageant!,” “Stand (An Autumn Play)” (The American Laboratory), “The Trapeze

39 Artist” (Baylor University), and “This” (Yale Cabaret). Her work has been read/developed by Baylor University, Theater Masters National MFA Playwrights Festival, the American Laboratory, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, the Endstation Theatre Playwrights Initiative, The Cherry Lane, Le Pavé d’Orsay in Paris, and The Horton Foote American Playwrights Festival. For three years she served as literary associate at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in New York. In addition, she has mentored for the Yale/Co-Op Eugene O’Neill Playwriting Program, the Dwight/Edgewood Project in New Haven, and taught Playwriting at Wesleyan University. She also served as a Deacon at the University Church in Yale. In 2014, Mary signed on as co-screenwriter with Nicolas Winding Refn on his next film The Neon Demon, which was recently shot in LA. She currently writes for the upcoming NBC Drama “Patient Zero.” She has an MFA from Yale School of Drama and a BFA from Baylor University.

POLLY STENHAM (co-writer) is a playwright. Her plays include “That Face” at the Royal Court, for which she was awarded the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright 2007 and the 2008 Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright. The play transferred to the Duke of Yorks Theatre in the West End in 2008. “Tusk Tusk” and “No Quarter,” both directed by , opened at the Royal Court in 2009 and 2013, respectively. Her play “Hotel” opened at the National Theatre in June 2014. She is currently under commission for Donmar Warehouse, Film Four and the Almeida. Her TV projects includes “Tusk,” a screen adaptation of her play “Tusk Tusk,” in development with Origin/Film4.

SPACE ROCKET is a Denmark-based independent production company dedicated to producing highly artistic, edgy, and counter-cultural feature films for an international audience. The company was founded in 2008 by producer Lene Børglum and director Nicolas Winding Refn after their successful collaboration on Refn’s feature film VALHALLA RISING.

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In 2012, Space Rocket produced ONLY GOD FORGIVES, which was released by Radius and stars Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas. Nicolas Winding Refn wrote the script and directed. ONLY GOD FORGIVES was in competition at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Space Rocket also produced THE NEON DEMON, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and staring Elle Fanning and Keanu Reeves. The film is being distributed by for a 2016 release. Both ONLY GOD FORGIVES and THE NEON DEMON were part of a two-picture deal made with Wild Bunch and Gaumont.

Space Rocket also produced Liv Corfixen’s feature documentary film, MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN, which premiered at Austin’s Fantastic Fest in 2014 and was released by Radius in 2015. Their second documentary, ESKIMO DIVA, was directed by Lene Staehr and was released worldwide in 2015.

Recently, Space Rocket teamed with producer to develop a remake of the cult classic MANIAC COP, which will be directed by John Hyams and will go into production in 2016. In addition, the company has recently expanded to include the development of two original TV series.

MICHAEL BASSICK (Executive Producer) [NEED BIO]

RACHEL DIK (Executive Producer) graduated from Calvin College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications Arts and Science. After graduating, she worked at Compass College of Cinematic Arts as Director of Communications. Rachel has worked on numerous commercial projects including campaigns for Gucci, Nintendo, Miller, H&M, and Priceline.com. Among her

41 feature film credits are Up In The Air, Marmaduke, Drive, Only God Forgives, Lost River, and most recently, The Neon Demon. She is currently developing a music documentary that addresses the issue of homelessness in Los Angeles, and continues to write books for children. Rachel serves on the Board of Directors at Atwater Playhouse. She currently resides in Los Angeles.

VICTOR HO (Executive Producer) was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. After graduating from the University of British Columbia with a B.A. in Theatre, he moved to Los Angeles, where he graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. His first industry job was acting opposite Donald Sutherland in the Canadian TV movie “Bethune” (1977). He also appeared in ’s O.C. & Stiggs (1985), before transitioning to the production side of the business. His credits as unit production manager include ’s Election (1999), Takeshi Kitano’s Brother (2000), Tamra Davis’s Crossroads (2002), ’s Fast Food Nation (2006) and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Beyond the Lights (2014). His executive producer credits include Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon (2016) and Ouija 2 (2016). He currently resides in Los Angeles.

MICHEL LITVAK (Executive Producer) is a Belgian industrialist and Chairman of Bold Films, an independent entertainment production and finance company dedicated to providing an artistic haven for creative talent. In 2004, Litvak co-founded Bold Films alongside Gary Michael Walters. Litvak serves as producer on Bold Films’ projects. His most recent projects include the feature film Whiplash, which won three and Nightcrawler, starring and Rene Russo, which was nominated for Golden Globe® Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, PGA Awards, WGA Awards, and SAG Awards.

42 Bold is currently in post-production on Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon, which stars Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves. Production began in May on Ric Roman Waugh’s Shot Caller, which stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Omari Hardwick and Lake Bell. In 2015, Warner Bros. released Lost River, Bold Films’ third collaboration with Ryan Gosling, which marked his debut as a writer and director. Past Bold Films projects include Nicolas Wending Refn’s critically acclaimed Drive, starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, and the Golden Globe nominated Robert F. Kennedy drama Bobby, with an ensemble cast that included Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, Shia LaBeouf, and Martin Sheen.

JEFFREY STOTT (Executive Producer) began his career on Rob Reiner’s mock rockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap, and went on to collaborate as a producer for Reiner on his iconic films Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and The American President. His long association with Reiner continued through the formation of Reiner’s company, Castle Rock Entertainment. During his stay there as Executive Vice President of Production Management, Stott oversaw the production of more than 80 films including Academy Award winning films Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, and produced 180 episodes of Castle Rock’s hit TV series ‘Seinfeld’. Following his tenure at Castle Rock, Stott returned to independent producing where he teamed with Producer John Davis on the feature length comedies Fat Albert, and later again on Marmaduke. Other independent credits include the 20th Century Fox remake of The Omen, directed by John Moore. Producing and consulting on the HBO mini series ‘John Adams’ brought Stott back to television world before pairing again with Reiner on the movie and box office smash The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Stott later worked with Marc Platt and Adam Seigel on the enormously successful Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Wending Refn movie Drive, shortly

43 followed by the Denzel Washington & Mark Walberg action comedy 2 Guns for . Most recently, Stott produced Lost River, Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut for Warner Brothers. He holds an M.A. in history from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in history from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

GARY MICHAEL WALTERS (Executive Producer) is the Chief Executive Officer of Bold Films and actively involved in all aspects of the company including production, development, distribution and finance. In early 2004, European industrial mogul Michel Litvak founded Bold Films along with Walters who assumed the role of President. Since that time, Walters has played a vital role in the growth and success of the company. Walters serves as Executive Producer on all of Bold Films’ projects, including current feature films Whiplash, the Sundance 2014 Audience and Drama Jury Awards winner which was released on October 10, 2014 by Pictures Classics and Nightcrawler, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo, which was released by on October 17, 2014. Both films were recognized for their cinematic achievements with nominations for Golden Globe® Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, PGA Awards, WGA Awards, and SAG Awards. In 2015, Warner Bros. will distribute Lost River, Bold Films’ third collaboration with Ryan Gosling, which marks his debut as a writer and director. The film stars Christina Hendricks, , Ben Mendelsohn and Eva Mendes. The Weinstein Company will release the Coup starring Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan and Lake Bell. Again, Walters serves as Executive Producer on both films. Past Bold Films projects include the critically acclaimed Drive starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, for which Nicolas Wending Refn won the Best Director Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and the Golden Globe Nominated Robert F. Kennedy drama Bobby, featuring a star-studded ensemble

44 cast that included Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, Shia LaBeouf, Demi Moore and Martin Sheen.

CHRISTOPHER WOODROW (Executive Producer) [NEED UPDATED] has produced numerous notable feature films, including Daniel Espinosa's crime thriller Child 44, starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman; Eli Roth's horror thriller The Green Inferno; James Gray's period drama The Immigrant, starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner; Guillaume Canet's crime thriller Blood Ties, starring Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana and James Caan; and William Friedkin’s black comedy, Killer Joe, starring Matthew McConaughey, , Juno Temple, Gina Gershon and Thomas Haden Church.

NATASHA BRAIER (Director of Photography) was born in Argentina and studied at the National Film and Television School in the UK. Her feature XXY won Best Film at Cannes Film Festival Critics Week 2008 and was nominated for Best Cinematography both by the Argentinean Academy of Motion Picture and the Argentinean Film Critics Association. In 2010, The Milk of Sorrow, for Peruvian director Claudia Llosa, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and also won Best Cinematography at the Manaki Brothers International Film Festival. More recently, Natasha has collaborated with directors Mike Mills, Roman Coppola, Vince Squibb and Frank Budgen on various commercial campaigns. She shot The Swimmer for the 2012 Olympics for acclaimed British director Lynne Ramsey, which won a BAFTA Award for best short film and also screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Her additional credits include Chinese Puzzle for French filmmaker Cédric Klapisch, part three of his trilogy starring Audrey Tatou and Romain Duris, and David Michôd’s The Rover, starring and .

45 In 2013, Natasha was selected for Variety’s 10 Cinematographers to Watch.

ELLIOTT HOSTETTER’s (Production Designer) feature film credits include Low Down (2014), directed by Jeff Preiss and starring Elle Fanning and John Hawkes; Night Moves (2013), directed by and starring and ; Spring Breakers (2012), directed by Harmony Korine and starring James Franco, and Selena Gomez; A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (2012), directed by Roman Coppola; and The Future (2011), directed by Miranda July. His has worked on commercials for such brands as , BMW, Chase, Samsung and Volvo with various high-profile directors, including Roman Coppola, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, James Franco, Harmony Korine and Mike Mills. His music video credits include Kanye West’s “Otis,” directed by ; Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs,” directed by Spike Jonze; and ’s "Your Body,” directed by Melina Matsoukas.

CLIFF MARTINEZ (Music) was born in the Bronx, raised in Ohio and moved to California in 1976, landing in the middle of the punk movement. He joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers as the drummer (playing on the band’s first two albums) and, later, The Dickies. It was during his tenure with the Chili Peppers that Martinez began exploring the new technologies of that era, which would eventually guide him towards the film music world. A tape Martinez had put together using these new technologies made its rounds, leading him to score an episode of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. The same recording also ended up in the hands of Steven Soderbergh and he was hired to score the director’s first theatrical release 1989’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape. Cliff Martinez’s longstanding relationship with Soderbergh has continued through the years, and they have worked together on ten theatrical releases including Kafka, The Limey, Traffic, Solaris and 2011’s Contagion. Martinez has been nominated for a Grammy

46 Award (Traffic), a César Award (Xavier Giannoli’s À L’origine), and a Broadcast Film Critics Award (Drive). His scores tend towards being stark and sparse, utilizing a modern tonal palette to paint the backdrop for films that are often dark, psychological stories like Pump Up the Volume (1990), The Limey (2009) Wonderland (2003), Wicker Park (2004) and Drive (2011). In 2012, Martinez composed the scores for three films: Robert Redford’s The Company You Keep, Nicholas Jarecki’s Arbitrage, and Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers (score co-composed with Skrillex). His most recent credits include TV’s “The Knick,” and HBO’s Emmy® award-winning TV movie “The Normal Heart.” The Neon Demon marks Martinez’s third collaboration with Nicolas Winding Refn, following Drive and Only God Forgives (2013).

MATTHEW NEWMAN (Editor) Mat Newman entered the in Rome at Cinecittà Studios, working for cameraman Michael Ballhaus on Gangs of New York. After moving into editing, he met director Nicolas Winding Refn, with whom he has since made six films. He is based in Berlin.

ERIN BENACH (Costumes) began her career designing the costumes for the award-winning indie Half Nelson (2006), starring Ryan Gosling. Her creative collaboration with Gosling continued with 2010’s Blue Valentine for director ; 2011’s Drive for director Nicolas Winding Refn; and 2012’s The Place Beyond the Pines, again for Cianfrance. Her additional costume design credits include Brad Furman’s The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Matthew McConaughey; Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden’s Sugar, Andrew Niccol’s The Host, starring Saoirse Ronan; Lori Petty’s The Poker House, starring Jennifer Lawrence; Sophie Barthes’ Cold Souls, starring ; John Erick Dowdle’s Devil; and Mark Ruffalo’s Sympathy for Delicious, written by and starring Christopher Thornton. She recently reteamed with Gosling on his directorial debut, Lost River (2014), which stars Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, and Ben Mendelsohn.

47 Upcoming projects include The Light Between Oceans, which reunites her with writer/director Derek Cianfrance and stars Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz; and Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special, starring , Adam Driver and Joel Edgerton.

BILLING BLOCK

THE NEON DEMON

WILD BUNCH/GAUMONT NICOLAS WINDING REFN PRESENT

THE NEON DEMON

ELLE FANNING KARL GLUSMAN JENA MALONE BELLA HEATHCOTE ABBEY LEE WITH CHRISTINA HENDRICKS AND KEANU REEVES

DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN

STORY NICOLAS WINDING REFN

SCREENPLAY NICOLAS WINDING REFN MARY LAWS & POLLY STENHAM

PRODUCER LENE BØRGLUM

PRODUCERS SIDONIE DUMAS, VINCENT MARAVAL

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS CHRISTOPHE RIANDEE BRAHIM CHIOUA

48 CHRISTOPHER WOODROW MICHAEL BASSICK STEVEN MARSHALL MICHEL LITVAK GARY MICHAEL WALTERS JEFFREY STOTT MANUEL CHICHE MATTHEW READ VICTOR HO RACHEL DIK THOR SIGURJONSSON

CO-PRODUCERS K. BLAINE JOHNSTON ELEXA RUTH

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY NATASHA BRAIER

EDITOR MATTHEW NEWMAN

MUSIC CLIFF MARTINEZ

PRODUCTION DESIGNER ELLIOTT HOSTETTER

COSTUME DESIGNER ERIN BENACH

CASTING NICOLE DANIELS & COURTNEY BRIGHT

LINE PRODUCER CARSTEN SPARWATH

SOUND DESIGNERS EDDIE SIMONSEN & ANNE JENSEN

VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR PETER HJORTH

A SPACE ROCKET NATION PRODUCTION

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH VENDIAN ENTERTAINMENT LLC & BOLD FILMS LLC

WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE DANISH FILM INSTITUTE/ KIM LEONA THE MEDIA PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

IN COLLABORATION WITH DANISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION

A FILM BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN

LOGO CREDITS SPACE ROCKET GAUMONT WILD BUNCH VENDIAN DFI CREATIVE EUROPE DR BOLD DOLBY AMERICAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION

“Oscar®” and “Academy Award®” are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

“Emmy®” is the trademark property of ATAS/NATAS.

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