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Which exciting new project unites rising stars Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton?
Fourteen years after Drive and nearly ten years after The Neon Demon, Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn returns to cinema with a bold project after years of anticipation. He brings together scream queen Sophie Thatcher and Todd Haynes’ May December breakout star Charles Melton in a film entitled Her Private Hell.
by Jordan Bako.
Nicolas Winding Refn’s triumphant return to the big screen
Nine years after his last feature film, he’s finally back. Who? The brilliant Nicolas Winding Refn, who is teasing the imminent arrival of his new project titled Her Private Hell.
In nearly 30 years of career, the Danish filmmaker’s work has become synonymous with audacity. Blazing with glamour and macabre, his visuals and narratives bear a now unmistakable signature style. It’s a distinctive aesthetic that has made him one of Hollywood’s foremost international film ambassadors, exporting his work well beyond his native Danish shores.
His return to cinema is, therefore, a highly anticipated event. During his nine-year hiatus, the director created two series: Too Old to Die Young (2019) and Copenhagen Cowboy (2023).
Throughout that period, rumors swirled about a spy film focused on the Yakuza called The Avenging Silence. Early speculation even suggested that Nicolas Winding Refn would return to the Cannes Film Festival in 2025 with this project. It would have been excellent news for a filmmaker who already defended three films on the Croisette… However, the rumor was never confirmed.
A project inspired by a sixties low-budget film?
What is certain is that Nicolas Winding Refn is officially returning with Her Private Hell. Although no details about the plot have been revealed, the title carries heavy significance.
The name also recalls the 1967 British film Her Private Hell directed by Norman J. Warren, which followed the story of a young model grappling with the risky demands of her agency.
Her Private Hell could focus on a tormented female figure, a theme close to the director’s heart. His last film, The Neon Demon, starred Elle Fanning as a model in a blood-soaked, erotically charged thriller.
Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton join the cast of Her Private Hell
To bring this film to life, Nicolas Winding Refn is banking on a promising cast. Sophie Thatcher, Hollywood’s new scream queen, will take the lead role. With her standout performances in Yellowjackets, MaXXXine, and more recently Companion, her rock and glamorous aura seems like a perfect fit for Refn’s cinema.
Charles Melton will also appear in Her Private Hell. After gaining fame through the series Riverdale, he truly shined in Todd Haynes’ May December (2023). Norwegian actress Kristine Froseth (The Buccaneers, Sharp Stick) and model-turned-actress Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms) complete the cast.
Her Private Hell is being produced by Neon Studios, the company behind the past five Palme d’Or winners. Their track record includes smash hits like Julia Ducournau’s unsettling Titane (2021), Justine Triet’s thriller Anatomy of a Fall (2023), and modern fables critiquing the ultra-rich such as Parasite (2019), Triangle of Sadness (2022), and Anora (2024).
Given Neon’s success formula and Nicolas Winding Refn’s impressive history on the Croisette, Her Private Hell promises to be one of the highlights of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. To be continued!
Her Private Hell (2026) by Nicolas Winding Refn does not yet have a release date.
