Despite an awkward telecast, Chloé Zhao is on top of the world, as her film Nomadland won three Academy Awards this past weekend, including the biggest prize, Best Picture, as well as Best Director and Best Actress for star Frances McDormand. Zhao has scored with critically acclaimed indies, but her next project is a much higher-profile, bigger budget endeavor– Eternals, an entry in the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.
Some directors, like Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange), have expressed frustration at tackling these major franchise pictures. Derrickson walked away from helming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness due to studio meddling. But it seems that in Zhao’s case, Marvel definitely wants her to bring her unique personal style to its universe.
Following Zhao’s Oscars victories– she is the first woman of color to score Best Picture and only the second woman ever to win Best Picture and Best Director following Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker– Marvel head honcho, Kevin Feige recounted a screening of Eternals for Disney execs.
“And I had to keep saying, ‘This is right out of a camera; there’s no VFX work to this at all!’ Because it was a beautiful sunset, with perfect waves and mist coming up from the shore on this giant cliffside — really impressive stuff.”
Later, while watching Nomadland, Feige saw similar shots.
“Oh! That is not just what she wanted to bring to Marvel. This is a signature style.”
Speaking to Variety herself, Zhao expressed that Marvel has pretty hands-off with this film and allowed her to deliver the film she wanted to make.
“It’s just been such an incredible experience working with the team at Marvel. I want to be careful saying “my vision,” even though I do want people to know they did support what I wanted to do. I want people to know that. But I also want to make sure they know that I got the support of this incredibly talented team, some of the most talented artists in the world. And it really is a village to make this film, but they did let me lead. Yes.
Props to Marvel — from early on, they knew the way I wanted to make this film, how I wanted to shoot. It can’t be hundreds of people standing around. So they very much adapted how to run the set the way that I wanted to work. I’m still surrounded by 25 people. They just have armies, and each of them knew they needed to keep the army away.
Zhao is currently putting the finishing touches on Eternals, working closely with editors Craig Wood and Dylan Tichenor. The film will present Marvel’s first deaf hero, Makkari as portrayed by Lauren Ridloff, a gay character, Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos, and an Indian hero, Kingo, as portrayed by Kumail Nanjiani.
Eternals was meant to open last year but was pushed back due to COVID-19. Fans can now look forward to seeing it on the big screen on November 5, 2021.
Check back for updates as they arrive.
