When Sofia Boutella instantly signed on for the role in Hotel Artemis

It’s been awhile since Sofia Boutella played a character without superpowers. Following a string of high-profile movie roles Boutella, an ex-dancer and Nike model turned actress, now takes center stage in the new thriller Hotel Artemis. She plays a role of a serial contract killer, and still bleeds red in a show-stopping hallway fight. She opens up about how she wished she could be a part of the movie even before the role was offered to her.

“I was in London filming ‘The Mummy,’ and my agent sent me the script. I read it and fell in love with it because it was such witty, clever writing. I also loved the world, the universe, the whole mood of it, which I could feel on the page. I had a Skype with (writer-director) Drew Pearce, which I thought was lovely, then later on I heard that Jodie Foster was going to play the nurse in it and I thought, “She’s perfect for the part.” I was hoping the opportunity would come around and that they would reach out to me, and luckily they did.”

Set in a not-so-distant future, Hotel Artemis is a member’s only emergency room by way of spa hotel for criminals needing some medical attention in riot-torn LA. The likes of French Nice (Sofia Boutella), Waikiki (Sterling K. Brown), Honolulu (Brian Tyree Henry) and Acapulco (Charlie Day) surrender their lives and safety in a haven run by the Nurse (Jodie Foster). With peace behind the hotel’s walls being as paper thin as the wallpaper, this motley crew finds themselves at the breaking point of a fight that may already have arrived.