Overview
- The film premiered as a gala presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 12, 2026, marking Cox’s first feature directing effort in 12 years.
- Cox says she accepted the project after seeing filmmaker Barbara Schroeder’s work and using Schroeder’s archival material to inform the film’s approach.
- Evil Genius spent roughly eight years in development and faced delays from COVID-19 lockdowns and the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes before entering production in 2025.
- The cast includes Patricia Arquette and David Harbour with supporting turns from Michael Chernus, Garret Dillahunt and Danielle Macdonald, and small parts for Cox’s daughter Coco and Arquette’s daughter Harlow.
- The TIFF debut gives the film its first critical exposure and buyer visibility while no wide-release date has been reported yet.