'A Hidden Life' Producer Talks Production Hurdles & Years-Long Editing Process For Terrence Malick's Latest

Just recently, after its highly-anticipated, and critically successful, premiere at Cannes, Terrence Malick’s World War II drama, “A Hidden Life,” was snatched up by Disney-owned Fox Searchlight for a deal worth a reported $14 million. That’s big money for any film, let alone an almost-3-hour arthouse love story with the backdrop of WWII from a critically-acclaimed, but experimental, filmmaker. And according to a new report, the immediate financial success was never a guarantee for Malick’s latest.

For those that haven’t been following the saga of “A Hidden Life,” the film (formerly known as “Radegund”) has been anxiously-awaited by fans for almost three years. The story follows the real-life tragic story of WWII conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to fight for the Nazis. The film recently premiered at Cannes, with many calling it one of Malick’s best.

READ MORE: Fox Searchlight Buys Distribution Rights For Terrence Malick’s ‘A Hidden Life’ In A Massive Deal

And as the recent report from Deadline suggests, this success is the result of some intense, laborious weeks filming, with a shoestring budget and no massive A-list stars. Not exactly the type of situation you’d think an Oscar-nominated filmmaker like Malick would find himself in.

“We had two car batteries and lights. We had a gaffer, but no electrician,” said producer Grant Hill. The report says the film was shot, largely with natural light, with a skeleton crew of only about 30 people. The entire pre-production ran for only 10 weeks, with principal photography only accounting for 8 additional weeks. The rest of the time, over two years, was spent in post-production in Austin, Texas.

The extended post-production process is due to Malick’s detailed editing process, where the filmmaker alters entire sequences at a time, to find his preferred result. Hill explained, “The love story was always there in ‘A Hidden Life,’ it came out more and more as we went on.”

READ MORE: ‘A Hidden Life’: Terrence Malick’s Tremendous Return To Form Will Renew Your Faith In His Cinema Of Purity [Cannes Review]

Sadly, the long post resulted in actors Michael Nyqvist and Bruno Ganz both passing away due to cancer over the course of the editing process. There’s a bit of solace knowing that, judging by critical reviews, it appears their final appearances on the big screen will be celebrated as part of an incredible feature.

The good news, if you’re a fan of Malick (and extended run times), is that the filmmaker is apparently not willing to cut down any of the 173 minutes from his Cannes film. So, the version that Fox Searchlight bought, is the version that will be released.

No release date has been announced for “A Hidden Life,” but depending on how Cannes ends (and if there are awards in Malick’s future), we could be looking at a fall release, with Searchlight attempting an awards-season run.

Click here for more 2019 Cannes Film Festival coverage.