Until proven otherwise, it’s still strange to think that Chloé Zhao is going to be able to successfully transition from making incredibly intimate films like “Nomadland” and “The Rider” to superhero blockbusters like “Eternals.” But yet, come November, that’s exactly what’s going to happen, as Zhao is the filmmaker behind the aforementioned Marvel Studios film.
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Speaking to Margaret Gardiner, Zhao was asked about what her experience working as a writer-director on “The Rider” and “Nomadland” would give her as she moved onto “Eternals” and the big Marvel Studios machine. And according to the filmmaker, working with a major studio like Marvel on a massive superhero film has been a learning process but she was still able to keep her personal touch during the whole process, including on the script.
“I am the writer on ‘Eternals,’ the credits just aren’t updated yet,” said Zhao. “I don’t know what it would be like if I didn’t write the film, if I wasn’t at least a huge part of the writing process. So yeah I haven’t experienced that in my career, I’m scared of that if that happens one day.”
She continued, “In the writing process, that’s sort of where I bring my sensibility in, that’s a huge part of it. And creating situations that will allow certain kinds of cinematic language to come in, that is something that I’ve learned from my last three films. I think what Marvel has been so incredible at – Kevin [Feige] and Nate [Moore] and the whole team – they knew from the moment I pitched the film, I really wanted the scope and scale at the same time as the intimacy. They knew I wanted both. They have been so incredible holding my hand through the entire process of allowing me to go as far as possible and as small as possible, and how that fits into the whole MCU. It’s been a pretty incredible process. You’ll have to wait and see.”
To say that it’s rare to see a director have a writing credit on a Marvel Studios film is an understatement. Outside of James Gunn and Joss Whedon, there have only been a few instances where folks like Ryan Coogler share writing credits with others. Not even Taika Waititi has a writing credit for “Thor: Ragnarok.” So, with Zhao being the writer of “Eternals,” it shows trust between Marvel Studios and the filmmaker which is rare in the MCU.
We’ll have to see how it turns out when “Eternals” arrives in theaters on November 5.