‘Eternals’ Director Chloé Zhao Urged Marvel to Not Cut This From the Movie Overseas
The Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s (MCU) Eternals is getting a lot of hype after the movie’s red carpet premiere. Attendants praised the movie for its genuine representation. They took to social media to express how it feels unlike the previous Marvel flicks. Director Chloé Zhao said in a recent interview that she told Marvel that she wants the movie’s cut to remain unedited for international release.
‘Eternals is gaining a lot of hype
Zhao directs a screenplay that she co-wrote with Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo. The story follows a race of immortals who lives on Earth long before humans. Their journey ultimately shaped the world’s history and the civilizations that would follow.
Eternals features a sizeable ensemble cast. The stars include Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. Other MCU installments overshadowed the hype for Eternals, although red carpet premiere reactions have instilled excitement in many audiences around the world.
‘Eternals’ director Chloé Zhao wants Marvel to keep the film intact internationally
Zhao talked with Indiewire about Eternals and the storytelling’s representation. The movie features the MCU’s first gay superhero with Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), which has excited many folks in the LGBTQ community to see that representation on the silver screen. However, there’s always the concern that the gay scenes may get cut for international releases. Zhao has urged Marvel to protect the final cut in its entirety.
“I don’t know all the details but I do believe discussions were had and there’s a big desire from Marvel and myself — we talked about this — to not change the cut of the movie,” Zhao said. “Fingers crossed.”
Many movies have suffered difficulties overseas for including gay content into their narratives. Moonlight and Call Me by Your Name both struggled to achieve international releases due to their subject matter. 1993’s Farewell My Concubine also faced multiple difficulties in getting proper distribution.
Zhao confirmed that the MCU’s first openly gay superhero was already a part of Eternals before she signed onto the project.
Chloé Zhao relates to Phastos’ story
Zhao explained the importance of Phastos’ narrative. She related the story to the modern world that humankind lives in. The world can appear so dark and full of negativity, but our loved ones are who ultimately ground us.
“The way Phastos’ story plays out in the film is that he’s someone who only sees humanity as a whole and believes that technology’s going to solve the problem,” Zhao explained. “Obviously, he lost faith in us for some very tough things that we’ve done. And then he had to stop looking at us as a whole and look at one person he falls in love with, and one child, to regain the face of humanity.”
Zhao continued: “It’s like us turning on the news and thinking it’s completely hopeless and then going home, looking at our lover and our child and going like, ‘Well actually this is worth fighting for.’”
Eternals will exclusively play in theaters Nov. 5.
