The Oscar-winning director of the 2021 MCU movie Eternalsis speaking out in defense of comic-book movies. The filmmaker highlighted the importance of telling stories that are not considered high art.
In a recent interview with Variety, Chloé Zhao defended movies based on superheroes and comic-book characters. Zhao co-wrote and directed Eternals, the 2021 MCU movie based on the Marvel Comics heroes of the same name. The same year, she received the Academy Award for Best Director for her drama film Nomadland.
Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, Zhao stated that she “loved” directing Eternals. “For any of you who love anime, I know you know this was a girl’s dream come true. Comic books are the western equivalent of [manga]. They are very different, but I live in the West, and that’s what I had access to.”
Despite the film’s lukewarm critical reception, Zhao notes the importance of embracing all genres, including superhero movies. “I do feel it’s important to not write off stories because we don’t consider them high art,” the filmmaker said.
Zhao added, “The purpose of storytelling for me, humbly, is to create containers for people to try to process what they need to process. Archetypes are such a great way to do it, and we see them in myths, because it’s something we all share.”
How much money did Eternals make in theaters?
Eternals debuted in theaters on November 5, 2021, grossing $402.1 million worldwide against a $236.2 million production budget.
Although the box-office numbers were promising, Eternals became the first MCU movie to not receive overwhelming positive reviews from critics. The film currently holds a 48% score on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer and a 77% score on the Popcornmeter.
Eternals follows a group of immortal beings hidden on Earth for thousands of years who emerge to protect humanity from the destructive De
The movie features an ensemble cast that includes Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie.
