Rosie Fellner has been lighting up British screens since her early days on The Fast Show, but with The Uninvited, she steps behind the lens to deliver something raw, witty, and culturally urgent. As the founder of Rosebud Pictures, Fellner has long championed emotionally intelligent and subversive storytelling—but this latest project takes the conversation to another level. We caught up with her to discuss producing bold cinema, tackling Hollywood’s obsession with age, and how comedy still saves her on the hard days.
You’ve been a part of iconic British television from The Fast Show to The Trip. How has stepping behind the camera as a producer changed your creative perspective?
Hello Made in Shoreditch!! Thank you for a great question! I love being in front of the camera and cherish being an actor but the work that goes into producing is so vast, as a producer I am there from the initial script stages all the way through to the release of the film, it can take years of work, so as a producer one has to be MASSIVELY invested in telling that story, as an actor sometimes it can be more character dependent.
What first drew you to The Uninvited script, and why did it feel like the right story to champion at this moment?
For me the whole experience was very meta-in the opening of The Uninvited our lead, Elizabeth Reaser (who is in her 40’s) who plays Rose is told she is too old to believably play the mother of a 6 year old child- I was an actress in my 40’s with a child!! But ultimately it was the writing, and it spoke to me not only on a personal level but on a subject that I think is universal, and although this story is based in Hollywood, motherhood and the female journey in the work place is something that I think needs shouting about.
The film addresses aging and identity through a darkly comic lens. What conversations do you hope it sparks for audiences—especially women?
My survival in life is comedy, there is nothing I love more than exploring the wit and banter that we find through our own suffering. I hope that looking at the subject helps us all identify our self worth not through this a narrow lens- that is always applied to us women.
You’ve worked with some incredible talents on this project, from Pedro Pascal to Walton Goggins. What was it like helping shape such a powerhouse cast?
I feel very grateful to them for shining their bright stars on our film and supporting this female driven movie, both Pedro & Walton are such strong and talented actors and were eager to work with Elizabeth Reaser, Lois Smith, Rufus Sewell and of course the rest of the cast-casting is always a tricky jigsaw puzzle and we got very lucky!
Your company, Rosebud Pictures, is known for emotionally intelligent, subversive storytelling. What makes a script stand out for you?
Originality with a Universal appeal, something we can all relate to on a human level, hopefully with some humour in there! But I am not genre specific.
Hollywood’s standards on beauty and age are slowly shifting. As a producer, how do you approach pushing back against industry norms?
Making The Uninvited I believe is my push back. I use what’s in front of me as a storyteller. If we can then sit back and observe that as an audience we can decide how we can help not get stuck in those patterns.
The Uninvited premiered at SXSW and now hits UK cinemas. What’s been the most rewarding response so far from festival audiences?
There is nothing more rewarding than watching the movie with a live audience and feeling and hearing them fully engaged and experiencing the movie-when we premiered at SXSW that was our first screening-to then get the positive response from people-was incredible-it makes it all worth the work.
You’re also behind the upcoming Trash TV and Rabbit Trap. Can you give us a hint of what’s next on your producing slate—and what excites you most about it?
I am currently in prep on a UK set drama called Trash TV with a brilliant new writer/director, Danny Lee. I am producing alongside Gail Lyons (Erin Brockovich) who is a powerhouse in her own right, and a huge inspiration for me. We are shooting in Sunderland and working with local production company Turnover 25 and a lot of talent local to the area- I am a huge advocate for pushing boundaries and making opportunities fair across the board.
I am also working on a family movie I am excited about and have a million things in development but finding myself in prep on one movie whilst releasing another- is a dream for me as an independent producer!
xxx
THE UNINVITED is in cinemas 9 May – https://theuninvited.movie
