Disney+ series Moon Knight, based on the Marvel Comics character, has added a directing duo with indie auteurs, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who previously helmed the horror flicks The Endless and Synchronic. They join Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab (Clash), who was previously tapped, and who also serves as showrunner. The Umbrella Academy’s Jeremy Slater heads up the writers’ room.
Benson and Moorehead will direct “several” episodes, although Diab is expected to tackle the majority of the series. It hasn’t been announced how many episodes will comprise Moon Knight, but the first Marvel show on Disney+, WandaVision, which premieres on Friday, is made up of nine episodes.
Moorehead shared the news via Twitter:
I still can’t quite wake up from this dream I’m having, that we’re directing Oscar Isaac in a Marvel show. It’s really happening.
Marvel’s ‘Moon Knight’: Indie Auteurs Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead Board as Directors (Exclusive) https://t.co/YEru8isE09 via @thr
— Aaron Moorhead (@AaronMoorhead) January 8, 2021
This is just the latest example of Marvel enlisting indie directors. James Gunn, who is now a superstar, had directed the low-budget horror flick Slither before taking on the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Additionally, Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck (Captain Marvel), Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home), Cate Shortland (Black Widow), Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi), and Chloé Zhao (Eternals) started off on smaller indie pictures before jumping into the big-budget game for Marvel.
Benson and Moorehead’s Spring debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, earning a fan in Guillermo del Toro, and The Endless premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Their most recent film, Synchronic, starred Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan and debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.
Star Wars‘ Oscar Isaac is set to star in Moon Knight, which is about a hero with multiple secret identities.
Marc Spector aka Moon Knight was a Jewish-American former US Marine turned C.I.A. agent. After leaving both organizations in disgrace he became a soldier of fortune. He was left for dead in the desert, on a mercenary mission in Egypt, where an idol of the Egyptian moon god; Khonshu, saved him and gave him his moon-based powers. Returning to the US with a newfound lease on life he took up multiple identities such as “Steven Grant”, and “Jake Lockley” to fight crime which, when alongside childhood trauma, also caused him to lapse back into Dissociative Identity Disorder. (via Marvel Wiki)
No word yet on when Moon Knight will arrive on Disney+, but it is expected to begin filming in Budapest in March. The first Marvel series to hit Disney+ is WandaVision, which debuts on Friday. That will be followed by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and Hawkeye. Moon Knight is part of the second wave which also includes She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel. A third wave has already been announced, including Ironheart, Armor Wars, and Secret Invasion.
Which Marvel/Disney+ series are you most looking forward to?
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
