(L to R) Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman wil star in ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman and Mia McKenna-Bruce will star in ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’.
‘Broadchurch’ and ‘Doctor Who’ writer Chris Chibnall adapted the series.
Netflix is backing the show.
The murder mystery genre is one of those evergreen sources for movies and TV, and Agatha Christie is one of the major players in that field (despite, you know being dead since 1976). Her work is consistently adapted –– probably most famously currently for the Poirot movies starring and directed by Kenneth Branagh.
But TV has usually been seen as the natural home for work based on the writer’s iconic books, and Netflix is looking to get in on that action with a new show based on ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’, which will star Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman (already well versed in the mystery genre thanks to ‘Sherlock’) and up-and-coming young star Mia McKenna-Bruce, who got a big break with last year’s movie drama ‘How to Have Sex’.
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What’s the story of ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’?
Mia McKenna-Bruce in ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’. Photo: Netflix.
First published in 1929, Christie’s tome is set in England in 1925. At a lavish country house party, a practical joke appears to have gone horribly, murderously wrong.
It will be up to the unlikeliest of sleuths –– the fizzingly inquisitive Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent (Bruce) –– to unravel a chilling plot that will change her life, cracking wide open the country house mystery.
Carter is playing Lady Caterham and Freeman will be a police officer named Battle.
Who is making ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’?
Jamie Dornan in HBO Max’s ‘The Tourist.’
The new series comes from Chris Chibnall, who previously created and wrote crime drama series ‘Broadchurch’ before moving on to run ‘Doctor Who’ for a few years.
And producing is Suzanne Mackie, who worked at Left Bank Pictures on ‘The Crown’ and formed her own production company, Orchid Pictures in 2020.
Chris Sweeney (‘The Tourist‘) is aboard to direct the series.
‘The Seven Dials Mystery’: The Cast and Creators Talk
Mia McKenna-Bruce wil star in ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’. Photo: Netflix.
Here’s what Mia McKenna-Bruce said about the show:
“Chris Chibnall’s scripts are brilliant, and I am thrilled to be part of this new interpretation of the iconic Agatha Christie’s storytelling.”
And here’s producer Mackie commenting:
“I am excited to be bringing ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’ to life, and to be introducing a new generation of iconic Christie characters to the screen. It has been a joy to work with Chris Chibnall in creating this bold, authored, and ambitious vision for the series. Together with Chris Sussman and Agatha Christie Limited and, under the masterful direction of Chris Sweeney, we are thrilled to embark on this creative journey. I could not think of a more exciting first project for Orchid Pictures, or a more perfect home for this story than Netflix.”
When will ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’ be on Netflix?
The series is now shooting, so the streaming service has yet to reveal a release date.
Martin Freeman as Jonathan Miller in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
(L to R) Martin Freeman as Jonathan Miller and Jenna Ortega as Cairo Sweet in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Opening in theaters on January 26th, ‘Miller’s Girl’ takes a dynamic that has been portrayed many times on screen –– the complicated, troubling teacher/student relationship that threatens to cross over into something less legally defined through the actions of one or both.
Here, writer/director Jade Halley Bartlett looks to tell her own take on that tale, finding a way through a particularly knotty path that sometimes finds itself in the weeds of expectation and tone.
Does ‘Miller’s Girl’ Have the “Write” Stuff?
Jenna Ortega as Cairo Sweet in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Bartlett’s film, including the surname of one of the main characters, channels writer Henry Miller, whose writing also features as a key plot element. There might be nothing here that can quite compare to Miller’s work, but Bartlett has a fair stab at grafting complicated sexual politics on to a very recognizable dramatic situation. Yet that familiar concept can sometimes breed contempt, as there have been more compelling takes on this subject.
Related Article: ‘Miller’s Girl’ Interview: Director Jade Halley Bartlett
‘Miller’s Girl’: Script and Direction
Director/Writer Jade Halley Bartlett behind the of scenes of the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Bartlett’s playwright past means the dialogue is the star here, even more so than either Jenna Ortega or Martin Freeman. The pair’s burgeoning friendship and shared love of literature is a touchstone that Bartlett returns to several times as she draws her characters closer.
Problem is, there are times, particularly in the first two acts, where it smacks of Bartlett showing off her talent for writing. And that pushes the interaction between Ortega and Freeman, or Ortega and Gideon Adlon’s Winnie into unrealistic territory: these aren’t relatable, human characters, they’re constructs designed to spin clever lines together.
The concept also sometimes comes across as problematic, and we don’t mean the situation between the teacher and his student. Ortega’s character being left to rattle around the gothic mansion while her parents work/galivant overseas is not always as convincing as the writer/director believes them to be, no matter how much Bartlett tries to weave more mystery around her.
Once things get more dramatic, however, the tenor of the dialogue settles down to something that feels more like human interaction, no matter how melodramatic it becomes. It’s here, though, that the whole affair then threatens to go off the deep end as the twists start coming.
The direction, meanwhile, is basic and unobtrusive. The lower budget and tight focus mean that you never really get a sense of the school as a place –– other students are seldom glimpse, and outside of the five main characters, there are few other people to be found in the film.
It gives a claustrophobic feel, which works for the movie’s story, but does sometimes make it feel more like a play than a film. One or two visual moments break that spell –– one particular moment during a rainfall works very well –– but otherwise this is, by design, fairly closed in.
‘Miller’s Girl’: Performances
(L to R) Martin Freeman as Jonathan Miller and Jenna Ortega as Cairo Sweet in ‘Miller’s Girl.’ Photo Credit: Zac Popik.
Ortega has long since proved she can handle something like this –– though her academic acting of late has mostly been in ‘Wednesday’, which is more a dark comedy with a side of horror. Here, the horror is on a much more human level, and Ortega sinks into the role of the smart Cairo Sweet, who carries a sense of mystery around her along with her school books.
As the different layers of her psyche are revealed –– this is, after all, is a story that seeks to show the darker impulses of both the student and teacher –– Ortega is more than up to the task, though even she can’t quite make some of the later twists function convincingly.
Freeman, for his part, brings his own layers to teacher Jonathan Miller. We’re mostly used to seeing him as a likeable everyman and here, that’s who Miller appears to be at the start. But as the movie digs into his buried resentments and frustration, and his dangerous side is revealed, Freeman is still convincing.
Likewise his interaction with Bashir Salahuddin’s fellow teacher convinces as a friendly male relationship, full of warmly traded jokes and bonhomie. And Salahuddin also works well, though his character does sometimes verge into cliché.
Gideon Adlon, as Cairo’s best friend Winnie has her own arc. Initially portrayed as a sexed-up polysexual, she at first might belong more in a comedy such as ‘Booksmart’ or ‘Superbad’ (Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, by coincidence, are producers here), but is soon wrapped up in the ensuing drama between Ortega and Freeman’s characters. The cast sometimes struggles in the later scenes, but overall they all do good work.
‘Miller’s Girl’: Final Thoughts
Jenna Ortega as Cairo Sweet in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
In tackling something that has been brought to screens in a variety of ways (not to mention a real-life issue that can be extremely difficult for all involved), ‘Miller’s Girl’ is a thoughtful, dramatic meditation on the dangers of literary lust spilling out into the real world. The performances are solid, but the movie itself sometimes finds itself lost in its own world.
‘Miller’s Girl’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the plot of ‘Miller’s Girl’?
A talented young writer (Jenna Ortega) embarks on a creative odyssey when her teacher (Martin Freeman) assigns a project that entangles them both in an increasingly complex web. As lines blur and their lives intertwine, professor and protégé must confront their darkest selves while straining to preserve their individual sense of purpose and the things they hold most dear.
Director/Writer Jade Halley Bartlett behind the of scenes of the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Jade Halley Bartlett about her work on ‘Miller’s Girl,’ developing the screenplay and the themes she wanted to explore, avoiding tropes, the complex characters, Jenna Ortega’s performance, working with Martin Freeman, and crafting the movie’s ambiguous ending.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about developing the screenplay and the themes that you wanted to explore as a director?
Jade Halley Bartlett: So, it originally started as a play that I wrote in 2011, as sort of a love letter to my muse. Her name is Julianne. She’s a terrific actress, and I wanted to write something for her. I was an actor living in New York City, not working, post-recession. I’d never really written before, so I was like, what am I going to do with my certificate of participation from an acting school? So, I said, I’m going to write for my friend. So, I called her, and I said, “If you could play any character, who would it be?” She said, “A psychopathic killer child.” So, I was like, I’m going to write about the birth of a villain, which is what I set out to do. So, in the original play, Cairo is that, and then as I adapted it to screen, Me Too happened, and I was suddenly gob smacked by the fact that I had not written one villain, but two. As I was working through my internalized misogyny, which didn’t even let me see what Jonathan was, I got to develop him further in that way. I use the word villain lightly, because none of the characters in this film, I think can fit the basket of victim or villain. They’re all the facets of these things. So, it was exciting to be able to move forward with characters who weren’t in the binary of characters who sat in this kind of moral gray area that I think is closer to what real life is inside of a heightened fairy tale movie.
(L to R) Martin Freeman as Jonathan Miller and Jenna Ortega as Cairo Sweet in ‘Miller’s Girl.’ Photo Credit: Zac Popik.
MF: Can you talk about avoiding some of the “older man/younger woman” tropes and what you wanted to bring that was new to the “teacher/student” dynamic?
JHB: I mean, it is a trope. This story clearly is a trope, and I wanted to upend our expectations of what that trope is by not having a perfect victim or a perfect villain. Now, often I think in these types of relationship stories, which will continue to be told, they’re mostly told by men. Historically, I think in cinema these stories have been told by men, and I’m not a man, and the whole thing is from the female gaze. So, I think that really excites me about this trope and reworking what it is having it be from Cairo’s perspective, which is inherently my perspective, which is female.
Jenna Ortega as Cairo Sweet in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Obviously, Jenna Ortega is one of the most popular young actresses working today. Can you talk about casting her and what she brings to a role like this?
JHB: Humanity. I think that’s really one of the most stunning things that she brings. Jenna’s very funny. I think she’s a very charming, funny person, but she, like me, has gothic proclivities, and I was really surprised at how much heart she brought to a character that I think could quite easily be very arch or very pretentious. Even though you see her, we feel her heartbreak with her, and you watch those scales grow over her, but you can still feel the pulse inside of her, and I think that is both beautiful and quite terrifying.
Jenna Ortega as Cairo Sweet in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: It seems that through most of the movie, Cairo is really the character holding all the power, which isn’t always the case in this type of story. Can you talk about that?
JHB: I mean, these tropes often deal with a vixen, a siren or some young girl who is out to destroy somebody. Cairo doesn’t. Cairo lives in a house with no parents, and all the literature she’s ever read, and the movies she watches are 19th and 20th century, which are inherently problematic. They’re way behind the curve. So, she is not really equipped going into a situation like this to understand what real life is. When she idealizes Jonathan, and it’s shot this way, we shot him from below, so we’re seeing him the way she does. When he ultimately humiliates her and shames her, her heart shatters in such a way that she is so ill-prepared for what that’s going to be, that she makes this great turn. Then of course, we shot him from above to examine how she sees him. I think that the power that she has is something that she comes to understand. She does not know that she has it in the beginning because she doesn’t know why she would ever need to wield it. There’s this great quote by Ani DiFranco that says, “Any tool is a weapon if you hold it right.” I think that’s what Cairo is.
(L to R) Martin Freeman as Jonathan Miller and Dagmara Domińczyk as Beatrice June Harker in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: It also seems like Jonathan’s insecurities and his failing marriage have led him to a place where he is susceptible to Cairo’s advances. Is that correct?
JHB: Yes. I mean, they’re both deeply problematically romantic people, and Jonathan is dangerous his hubris won’t let him see what he really is, which is sort of a comment on me. I didn’t see what he really was either. So, his translation into that version in the screenplay is also my understanding of him as well, and Beatrice (Dagmara Domińczyk) became that voice for me throughout the story. Jonathan is not a strong person. I think he is much closer to the real-life version of how these things happen. He’s not a capital “V” villain. He doesn’t know he’s the villain. His inability to see his responsibility in this whole scenario, I think is really terrifying.
Martin Freeman as Jonathan Miller in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: I haven’t really seen Martin Freeman play a role like this before. Can you talk about working with him and was he comfortable going to all the places he had to emotionally for this character?
JHB: He was extraordinary. Martin got the movie green lit. I wrote him a letter. I was like, “Please, please meet me,” and he did. We talked for like two hours on Zoom, and he just really understood the context, the content and the character. He wasn’t afraid of Jonathan. He wasn’t afraid to explore a man who has weaknesses and has vulnerabilities in a way that I don’t think we typically see characters like this. He also exhibited such an extraordinary amount of humanity. I think because Martin has such warmth and kindness, and he’s a surgeon of an actor, he’s so deft. I think if he was harder or anything other than Martin, it would be very easy to vilify this character. But because Martin has this warmth and humanity, you can relate to him and it’s certainly what I feel when I watch him. I think the relatability of both of those characters is what gives more nuance to this story that has been told many times.
(L to R) Martin Freeman as Jonathan Miller and Jenna Ortega as Cairo Sweet in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Can you talk about Ortega and Freeman’s on-screen chemistry and was it obvious to you the first time you put them in front of the camera together?
JHB: I wish I had footage of the camera test that we did. Everybody in there was like, “Oh my God.” Because their chemistry, they’re both so intelligent and they’re wonderful when they’re speaking, but what happens when they’re not speaking, it crackles through the air. They’re very generous actors with each other, and obviously there’s so much dialogue. They both came really prepared with that dialogue. So, when they came to set, because they knew all the language, we could just get in and play, and they’re both so incredibly professional and they’re both fun people. They’re electric together.
Jenna Ortega as Cairo Sweet in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Finally, the movie’s finale is purposely ambiguous, can you talk about crafting the ending?
JHB: That is exactly the ending it’s always been. I wanted to leave with a question because I think it’s too tidy to tie it up in a bow. I want the audience to ask themselves, who does she become? Who does he become? I wanted it to feel like a short story. I think short stories are the most perfect format of storytelling. You don’t have to fill it with too much. It’s almost like a good joke where you’ve got the setup and then you’ve got the punchline at the end. It leaves you with a question or it leaves you with an emotion. I didn’t want to tie anything up. I wanted the audience to ask themselves who these characters are, what are they going to do, and why am I the audience member? What are my judgments of these characters and why have I made them?
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What’s the plot of ‘Miller’s Girl’?
A talented young writer (Jenna Ortega) embarks on a creative odyssey when her teacher (Martin Freeman) assigns a project that entangles them both in an increasingly complex web. As lines blur and their lives intertwine, professor and protégé must confront their darkest selves while straining to preserve their individual sense of purpose and the things they hold most dear.
Premiering on Disney+ beginning June 21st is the new six-episode Marvel series ‘Secret Invasion,’ which is based on the popular comic book storyline of the same name and is the first MCU series of Phase Five.
What is the plot of ‘Secret Invasion’?
In Marvel Studios’ new series ‘Secret Invasion,’ set in the present day MCU, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) and the Skrull Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.
In the first two episodes, ‘Secret Invasion’ sets up an interesting character-driven espionage thriller that captures the paranoia of the original comic book storyline. Much like ‘Captain America: Civil War’ the new series is only an adaption in the broadest strokes, using the well-established Marvel Cinematic Universe as a launching-off point for a similar but not exactly identical story. Returning MCU actors Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn lead a strong ensemble cast, which also includes a charming and delightful performance from Oscar-winner Olivia Colman.
2008’s ‘Secret Invasion’ was a groundbreaking Marvel Comics crossover event that saw the Marvel heroes fighting a war with the shapeshifting alien race known as the Skrulls, who had systematically over the course of several years secretly invaded Earth by replacing many well-known Marvel characters, including members of The Avengers and the X-Men. The tagline for the series was: “Who do you trust?”
Marvel studios takes a smaller, yet similar approach with Disney+’s ‘Secret Invasion,’ which is not on as big a scale as the overreaching comic book storyline was. Instead, the series wisely takes only the idea from the comic book and then applies it to what has already been established in the MCU, similar to other Marvel “adaptions” like ‘Civil War.’ The series is more of an espionage thriller like ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ and is surprisingly very character-driven with some of its best moments coming from exploring Nick Fury and Talos’ long friendship as established in ‘Captain Marvel.’
The series begins with an American spy confronting a well-known MCU character with his theory that the Skrulls that Fury secretly let live on Earth have formed a terrorist organization that has infiltrated the highest ranks in governments across the world and plans to take the planet for their own. After laughing off this possibility, the MCU character is revealed to be a Skrull, and kills the agent. We then cut to Talos (Mendelsohn) who is working with Maria Hill (Smulders), and quickly contact Nick Fury (Jackson) to return to Earth from space, where he has been since the Blip (following the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’).
Once reunited with Talos and Hill, Fury learns that Talos has been fired from the Skrull council, and that a Skrull named Gravik (Ben-Adir) is the leader of the terrorists, which also includes Talos’ daughter G’iah (Clarke) as a member. Talos learns of where Gravik is planning his next attack, while Fury visits an old ally, high-ranking MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth (Colman), but she is unwilling to work with him and tells Fury to stand down.
Fury, Talos and Hill try to stop the attack but fail. Fury is blamed internationally instead and soon learns that there are more Skrulls on Earth than he previously believed. Not knowing who to trust, Fury reaches out to James Rhodes (Cheadle), and warns him of the impending invasion, but the US government wants to wash its hands of Fury. Meanwhile, we learn that Fury has a secret of his own, and so does Gravik, who is working on an experiment to make Skrulls stronger.
The long friendship, as established in ‘Captain Marvel,’ between Fury and Talos is at the heart of the series. In the first two episodes, the series digs deep into their past showing us post-‘Captain Marvel’ moments that better explains the long alliance between Fury and the Skrulls, and the secret betrayals from both sides that have led to this moment. Some of the best moments of the first two episodes are the quitter, character-driven scenes that dive into that relationship and both characters’ pasts.
Samuel L. Jackson definitely leads the series with his commanding gravitas, and after more than a decade of playing the character in a supporting role, it’s nice to see Jackson and Fury front and center of this story. Make no mistakes, this is Sam Jackson’s series! But Ben Mendelsohn is equally good as Talos, and again, the character is central to the story. He has some wonderful scenes with Jackson, as well as Emilia Clarke as his misguided daughter G’iah, last played by Auden L. Ophuls and Harriet L. Ophuls in ‘Captain Marvel.’ Originally teased as a villain, Talos has become one of my favorite MCU characters, thanks to Mendelsohn’s thoughtful and funny performance.
Other Retuning MCU Characters
MCU regulars Cobie Smulders, Don Cheadle and Martin Freeman return as Maria Hill, James Rhodes, and Everett K. Ross, respectively, but all have limited roles, at least in the first two episodes. It’s also worth mentioning that the MCU has a new US President, as President Matthew Ellis (William Sadler), last seen in ‘Iron Man 3,’ has been replaced with Dermot Mulroney’s President Ritson.
While technically not a new character, Emilia Clarke makes her MCU debut as Talos’ daughter G’iah. Clarke seems fine in the role and has some nice moments with Mendelsohn, but other than running around, is not given a lot to do in the first two episodes, although I expect her role to get bigger throughout the rest of the series. Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Gravik and is certainly menacing in the role, but is a little too one note. Episode two attempts to flesh-out his backstory, and I hope there is more of that in the series and it can humanize the character a bit more so he’s not just evil for evil’s sake. But much like many fans have thought since ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ “Was Thanos right?” The character does make a strong argument for his actions, from his point of view.
But the breakout new character of the series is definitely Olivia Colman’s Sonya Falsworth. The character is unassuming, quite charming, and extremely dangerous, and Colman plays her with glee. Her interactions with Fury early on cement her place in the new MCU power structure, and tells the audience that she is not to be trusted. Is she a hero? Is she a villain? Is she a Skrull? Who knows? But Coleman is delicious in the role and clearly having fun with the part.
The short answer is that anyone in the series could be! As previously mentioned, a longstanding MCU character is revealed at the beginning of the series to be a Skrull. However, I do not believe that character has always been a Skrull, like it was in the comics. I think they were just a Skrull in this one appearance, but that could be proven wrong down the line. I don’t think the series will reveal, let’s say, that Tony Stark was always a Skrull, or something like that. But part of the fun of the comic book, and in turn this series, is that it keeps the audience guessing the entire time and raises our feelings of paranoia.
After two episodes I already have some theories, but honestly, like I said before, anyone could be a Skrull! I thought Rhodey was acting a little suspect when he met with Fury, but then again, Fury is definitely keeping a secret himself. It’s also possible that there is more than one Fury, and that Sam Jackson is not always playing that character in ‘Secret Invasion’ when we see him. Only time will tell if that is true. Other suspects? Definitely President Ritson, my “Spidey-Sense” tells me they would not have cast an actor like Dermot Mulroney in an insignificant role. Also suspect, Sonya Falsworth, she’s hiding something too but that could be a red herring. One of the strengths of the show is that it will keep you invested by keeping you guessing as the series goes on.
Ultimately, it’s hard to say. Unlike its comic book counterpart, the series is not a huge scale crossover event, instead ‘Secret Invasion’ seems like a side-story that is taking place in the shadows. It’s probably setting up a future Marvel project, possibly the next ‘Avengers’ movie, and its conclusion should have some ramifications moving forward. But I’m guessing, since this seems like a smaller, character-driven series, that it will mostly just affect Nick Fury and his role moving forward. While the Avengers and other heroes are name dropped, it’s explained why they cannot help in this matter, and however the series concludes, it will be interesting to see if this storyline crosses over to any other future projects.
Final Thoughts
‘Secret Invasion,’ in the first two episodes, sets up an intriguing spy-thriller of a series, which is brilliantly led by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. Ben Mendelsohn and Olivia Colman give strong supporting performances in this character-driven Marvel series that will keep you guessing the whole time.
The first two episodes of ‘Secret Invasion’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Plotting with all the tactics of a military campaign, the Marvel team has been drip-feeding information about its upcoming Disney+ series ‘Secret Invasion’, which sees the full return of Samuel L. Jackson’s eyepatch-sporting (though not always here, more on that below) tough nut and former S.H.I.E.L.D. boss.
The new series catches us up with not only Fury but also the Skrull aliens we met in ‘Captain Marvel’, primarily led by Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos.
Originally believed to be a threat, they were actually revealed as refugees from a catastrophic war with the more dangerous race known as the Kree (for whom Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers initially fought before realizing their less friendly nature and helping Fury fight them alongside Talos).
Yet decades later, the Skrulls haven’t received what humanity promised –– access to a new homeworld of their own and real help –– so there is now a faction dedicated to taking what they’re owed, but duplicity or force.
Led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), the group uses their shape-changing powers to wreak havoc. And among their number is someone close to Talos (spoiler alert: it’s his daughter, G’iah, played by ‘Game of Thrones’ veteran Emilia Clarke.)
To combat this threat, Fury turns not to his Avengers-level super-friends (the trailer makes a point of that, so perhaps the series will explain his thinking) but to some more down-to-Earth associates, including Talos, loyal lieutenant Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman).
And sitting squarely in between the two sides of the conflict we have Olivia Colman’s character, Special Agent Sonya Falsworth, a high-ranking member of Britain’s intelligence service MI6 (think the real-world organization that employs James Bond in a whole other fictional universe). She’s apparently been both friend and foe to Nick Fury in the past.
Casting-wise, we’ll also see Carmen Ejogo, Christopher McDonald, and Marvel veteran Don Cheadle, back as James Rhodes, here in more of a political capability than his usual War Machine style (though we’d be shocked if he didn’t suit up at some point).
Oh, and talking of a changed style, Fury also has an altered look at times –– he’s not always wearing his trademark eyepatch, which covers a damaged eye.
“He just doesn’t wear the patch. The patch is part of who the strong Nick Fury was. It’s part of his vulnerability now. You can look at it and see he’s not this perfectly indestructible person. He doesn’t feel like that guy.”
The series promises to be more of a global political spy thriller, albeit with the alien overtones and of course healthy dollops of MCU lore. But it’ll be a personal mission for Fury, who has been off-planet since the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and realizes that he’s been out of touch in more ways than one. And kicking some scheming alien butt might just be his way to make contact again.
Here’s what executive producer executive producer Jonathan Schwartz says about Fury:
“Sins from his past start to haunt him once again. We often see Nick Fury doing the right thing. We don’t always see him doing it in a perfectly morally correct way. All of those things have ramifications. Without getting too specific, the things that Nick Fury’s had to do to protect the Earth have costs.”
And here’s more from Jackson:
“Nick had a whole Skrull spy network because they could shape-shift and go places that people couldn’t go. They kept their word. They worked for him, but he hasn’t done what he said he was going to do. They want a home. They want to live. They want to live like they are. They want to live in their skin. They don’t want to live in ours.”
‘Secret Invasion’ kicks off on Disney+ on June 21st.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’
In other Marvel news, there has been another change behind the scenes on the movie front.
While Kaplan and Springer are more known for comedy writing, Josh Friedman has some big sci-fi bona fides.
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What has Josh Friedman worked on?
Most recently, Friedman was part of James Cameron’s writing team for the ‘Avatar’ sequels (he has a story credit on ‘The Way of Water’). He’s also worked on the script for next year’s ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’.
Also on the small screen, he’s run or been part of the development for ‘Foundation’ and ‘Snowpiercer’.
Whether this means a complete re-write or beefing up the sci-fi side of things remains to be seen, but ‘Fantastic Four’ is still currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on February 14th, 2025.
The title might be ‘Secret Invasion’ and it might hail from Marvel –– notoriously a company that likes to keep details of its movies and series under wraps –– but we’re finally learning more about the next MCU series to arrive on Disney+.
‘Secret Invasion’ will see Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s Skrull Talos facing off a brand new threat from a splinter group of the latter’s alien race.
Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios’ ‘Captain Marvel.’
When did we first meet the Skrulls?
A longtime enemy in the comics, the Skrulls were given a fresh twist by 2019’s ‘Captain Marvel’, as it was revealed that the Skrulls were actually alien refugees of a devastating conflict with fellow extraterrestrials the Kree.
Though Skrulls such as Talos and his team used their shape-shifting abilities (they can mimic any person) to push their agenda, they soon let Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Fury know the true nature of their struggle.
At the end of the movie, Fury promised to help the Skrulls find a new home, but since ‘Captain Marvel’ was set in the 1990s and there has been little progress since then, the story has taken another turn.
There is a facet of Skrulls, unhappy with the situation, who are now taking matters into their own hands.
Led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), this splinter group has become radicalized, and aims to get what they believe they’re owed by stealth or by force.
Among Gravik’s followers is someone very close to Talos, his daughter G’iah, played by ‘Game of Thrones’ veteran Clarke.
Here’s what Clarke says about the situation:
“These people promised a lot of stuff a long time ago, and not a lot has happened. So understandably, a certain amount of resentment has been built. There’s a lot of emotions that live within her, and there’s a lot of confrontational aspects to her character that have come from circumstance. You understand why she has the feelings that she does.”
And here’s what Clarke says about her character:
“There’s a kind of punk feeling that you get from this girl. She’s a refugee kid who’s had Talos for a dad, you know what I mean? Maybe the fact that we didn’t know he had a kid up until this point tells you everything you need to know about their relationship.”
On the other side of the conflict, we have Olivia Colman’s character, a high-ranking member of Britain’s intelligence service MI6 (think the real-world organization that employs James Bond in a whole other fictional universe). She’s apparently been both friend and foe to Nick Fury in the past.
Says Jackson of Colman’s character,
“It’s somebody that you’ve never seen her play before. She’s cold-blooded and just relishes being that person.”
The cast for the series, which reportedly, though it has yet to be officially confirmed, kicks off on Disney+ on June 21st, also includes returning MCU veterans Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman and Don Cheadle.
In 2018, Chadwick Boseman donned the claws and took on the role of T’Challa in Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’. We first saw Boseman debut the role in 2016’s ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ where he mourns the loss of his father King T’Chaka due to a terrorist attack. The event pits him against Team Captain America as he fights alongside Ironman, War Machine, Black Widow, Vision, and Spider-man.
T’Calla would go on to appear in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, ‘Avengers: Endgame’, and Marvel’s animated series ‘What If’. The reactions to Black Panther’s entry into the MCU were positive, and his appearance in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ perfectly sets up the stand-alone film, directed by Ryan Coogler (‘Creed‘). The film opened in 2018 to $202 million domestically and has a critics’ score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes today.
Alongside Boseman, the ‘Black Panther’ cast includes Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, Letitia Wright as his sister Shuri, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, and Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger. The film would go on to win Academy Awards for Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Production Design, and Best Original Score.
The movie received glowing reviews from critics and fans alike, warranting a sequel and likely more appearances of the Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer and passed away before the second movie was made. His untimely death sent a shock wave through the community. Bose was 43 at the time.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther in 2018’s ‘Black Panther.’
The official synopsis for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is as follows:
“Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.”
Many were left to wonder, what is the story of Black Panther and Wakanda without its lead? Director Ryan Coogler revealed that initially, the story was going to focus on T’Challa and how he comes to grips with fatherhood. ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ focuses on grief and mourning, and serves as a beautiful tribute to Chadwick Boseman.
Returning to the sequel to reprise their roles are Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba, Winston Duke, and Martin Freeman. The movie is joined by Tenoch Huerta (‘The Forever Purge‘) who plays the film’s antagonist, Namor. Dominique Throne (‘Judas and the Black Messiah‘) enters the franchise as Riri Williams/Ironheart, who will also appear on Marvel’s ‘Ironheart’ series for streamer Disney+.
Without Boseman in the lead, the story focuses on the citizens of Wakanda and how they protect their nation from a new threat – Atlantis and their ruler, Namor. The movie opens with a chaotic scene where Shuri is trying to recreate the heart-shaped herb. She was unable to complete the process before Queen Ramonda delivered the news of her brother’s passing. The funeral procession for T’Challa follows. The film is filled with many emotional and powerful moments such as Queen Ramonda’s speech to the United Nations, and the burning of the funeral garb with Shuri. Ultimately, Shuri takes the helm as the new Black Panther and faces off against Namor in the final act.
Where Can I Watch ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’?
There’s still a chance to see ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ in theaters! The film premiered on November 11, 2022, and has a runtime of 2 hours and 41 minutes. There is one mid-credit scene.
Additionally, you can now pick up the DVD and Blu-ray of the film in stores. For the collectors, retailers such as Target, Best Buy, and Walmart have exclusive editions.
Academy Award Nominations For ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
The Ryan Coogler-directed sequel opened to $181 million during opening weekend and has grossed over $800 million worldwide. The film has a critics score of 84% and an audience score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has already received many awards including a Golden Globe Award (Best Supporting Actress, Angela Bassett) and two Critics Choice Awards (Best Costume Design and Best Supporting Actress).
It has received five Academy Award nominations including:
Throughout his career, Boseman has received many awards including a Golden Globe award, a Critics Choice Movie Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, an Emmy award, and an Oscar nomination. Aside from appearing as T’Challa aka the Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you can find the star’s work below:
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ was released in theaters on November 11th, 2022 from Marvel Studios. Directed by Ryan Coogler, and written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, the film stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winstone Duke, Dominique Thorne, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tenoch Huerta, and Angela Bassett.
Watch Moviefone’s interviews with director Ryan Coogler and the cast of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ below:
Easily one of the most anticipated movies of the year, superhero sequel ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ carries more than just the expectations for a follow-up to a huge box office hit and pop cultural moment.
In continuing the story from 2018’s ‘Black Panther’, the movie, its cast and crew must also wrangle with the emotional fallout after the death of leading man Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 from colorectal cancer.
And there is a threat from beneath too – beneath the surface of the ocean, that is – as Tenoch Huerta’s Namor, ruler of the undersea kingdom of Talokan, who has his own reasons to attack Wakanda.
As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path.
Moviefone had the chance to attend a press conference where Nyong’o, Wright, Huerta, director Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige talked about the new film.
Kevin, work on the script was in progress when Chadwick Boseman died, which meant a big change. How did that process start, and how did it shift as you guys were going about the task?
Kevin Feige: In my memory of it, the shock turned into, “Well, you know, what do we do? What should we do? Should we do anything?” And I think relatively soon, it was determined that this amazing ensemble of characters and this world that had been created onscreen needed to continue. Ryan pours everything and all of himself into everything he does and had been working for almost a year on a version of the movie with T’Challa in it. And was finding and pouring his life experience from making the first movie into that. And then when we lost Chad, all of that, obviously, was then poured into this movie, as well. And keeping the idea of a celebration of Wakanda and the character at the forefront, in addition to the grief that, of course, is gonna come with that.
Ryan, this was a collaborative project. So, tell us about some of the fun collaborations you had on set.
Ryan Coogler: It was great. I think that’s one of the great things, when you get to do a series of films, is that you get to have these mini reunions. It was such an amazing time that we had making the first one. Now, four years had passed. It was just great to see everybody again and to catch up and to see how everybody had grown. We were also coming off of a pandemic. We actually started the film right smack in the middle of it. I think everybody experienced a sense of loneliness, you know, during the years that followed, that crisis. It was just great to see some of these folks and give ‘em a big giant hug again.
Letitia, talk about playing a different, angrier, grieving side of Shuri in this film?
Letitia Wright: We meet her in the first film and she is that ray of sunshine. She’s so clothed and protected in royalty and love. And proud of her big brother taking the step, following on his father’s legacy. She just wants to create. I love Shuri in the first one because there was no limit to her. She was the person her brother went to for his protection, his armor. He encouraged that. Her family encouraged her to be a genius and to be faithfully and wonderfully made.
So, we follow on from that. What does that look like when your heart is broken? I think it was just Ryan (Coogler)’s guidance on how do we create a full arc of this human being? Of this young woman going to through something alongside her fellow family members, in general, and Wakandans. I think the way it was written and the delicacy, the gentleness of how we approached it. We always spoke, we always communicated, at every step of the way. We were able to bring something that felt real, that felt truthful. I was able to really give my heart to it and give Shuri a full arc. Hopefully people can really resonate with that and find some healing, you know, alongside us, with it.
Lupita, you play Nakia, who seems out of all the characters to best have a handle on her grief, until she admits she doesn’t. And that’s not an easy thing to portray as an actor, right?
Lupita Nyong’o: I remember, in the beginning, reading the script, and I was so envious of Letitia because she gets to be chaotic! That’s how I felt, I felt raw and, you know, wanted to express it. Nakia, though, she’s just a little further along in terms of her processing. It’s not like she has it all figured out, but in the first film, Ryan described her as T’Challa’s oasis. That really, really resonated with me. So, when I was reading this script and thinking about where she is, I realized that what she was once to T’Challa, she now has the opportunity to offer Shuri. It made a lot of sense in terms of the structure and architecture of the story.
LN: When we’re talking about exploration of grief, it’s really grounding to have someone who is, I want to say, befriending of the change for the people in the story, but also for an audience. The fact that she was T’Challa’s love, in a way I guess it allows an audience to know that it’s okay, you know? It’s okay. As much as I was frustrated with Ryan for doing that with Nakia, actually playing her was very therapeutic for me. You know, because I had to look beyond my frustrations with losing Chadwick and learn from her. Learn from that wisdom that she seems to possess.
Tenoch, how was it coming in and playing essentially a villain here as Namor?
Tenoch Heurta: It is tricky, when you have a character like this, because you are the antagonist. You’re gonna destroy something that is vital, not just in the story, but to the people. The people outside. A lot of people feel identification with Wakanda, and I include myself in that, and the narrative and representation and everything. So, now I must play the bad guy who tries to destroy that legacy! But at the same time, Ryan, in the script, he found a way to make it human, to justify why that people do that kind of thing.
They share the same wound, you know, historically. I mean, like, representation of their cultures. But at the same time, as individuals, they share that wound. How they solve the problem is about their personality and their own history. So, that’s beautiful. That balance in a movie. It doesn’t happen too much and it’s enjoyable.
In the underwater scenes, how much swimming experience did you have before this and how much did you have to get?
TH: I didn’t know how to swim before this movie! But now I can hold my breath for five minutes.
Ryan, what was the thinking behind having the women of Wakanda take center stage?
RC: Yeah. Joe Robert Cole my cowriter, and I, this was what made sense to us. What we wanted to look at was, you know, when you lose somebody, there’s, like, a blast radius. You know, that’s like a bomb that goes off. Who was the closest to it, you know? That’s who we explored.
The main characters, their identities were kinda wrapped up in this man, you know, like, is the truth of it. You know, and Shuri, every day she was alive, she had her brother. So, when she lost him, what we discovered while we were working on the script, and then eventually bringing it to life with the actors, was that she really lost her sense of self. She identified herself as this guy’s little sister. As his protector and as the person who looks out for him. So, when she loses that, it makes her very unmoored. It wasn’t really about gender, directly. It was about who was the most, you know, who would be most affected, you know?
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ debuts in theaters on November 11th.
The long-awaited sequel to 2018’s Oscar-nominated Marvel movie, ‘Black Panther,’ which is entitled ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ finally opens in theaters on November 11th.
The film was put in jeopardy in 2020 when the franchise’s lead actor, Chadwick Boseman tragically died of cancer. Returning director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole were forced to rewrite the script, and choosing not to recast the character, find a way to explain his absence. Their choice was to kill off the character, which would be the second and ultimately last time T’Challa died in the Marvel Universe, after disintegrating when Thanos snapped his fingers in ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’
The sequel begins shortly after King T’Challa‘s death, but I’ll let the film itself explain exactly what he died from. The Kingdom of Wakanda is mourning their fallen king, as Shuri (Letitia Wright), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and M’Baku (Winston Duke) rally around their Queen, Ramonda (Angela Bassett), while a new threat emerges from the hidden undersea nation of Talokan ruled by Namor (Tenoch Huerta).
With war brewing between the two powerful nations, the CIA dispatches Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) to keep an eye on the situation, and while Wakanda’s royal family decides what to do with the Black Panther mantel, they seek the aid of MIT student and genius inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), who in the comics is known as the hero Ironheart and soon will have her own Disney+ series.
The result is a solid and entertaining sequel that truly explores the concept of grief and loss, and introduces some great new characters to the MCU, however, unfortunately never overcomes the unmeasurable absence of Boseman and his character.
The film does have a few issues, and one of the problems with the movie is it is just too long for the story it is telling. At 2 hours and 41 minutes, it’s longer than ‘Infinity War’ and the story just does not warrant it. Also, without giving anything away, the character of Black Panther does not show up until after the two-hour mark, and that is a problem for a movie with the words ‘Black Panther’ in the title.
Ultimately, the film suffers from the loss of Boseman, and in turn T’Challa, but obviously there is nothing that could be done about that. But now that we’ve mentioned all of that, let’s talk about what does work. Director Ryan Coogler has crafted an epic film, huge in scope, that basically deals with the simple idea of grief and how we as people deal with loss.
The returning cast is excellent, and every actor has a chance to step-up their roles in the wake of Boseman’s absence. Leading the charge is Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett, who gives a passionate performance as the Queen of Wakanda, and a mother who has lost her son. Her performance is the heart of the film.
Danai Gurira is also a standout, with Okoye questioning her place in the world after the death of T’Challa. Her character comes in conflict with Ramonda and has some terrific scenes with Bassett. Winston Duke’s M’Baku also has a larger role this time around, now as an advisor to the royal family.
Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia is also a welcomed return to the franchise, and while she plays a pivotal role in the story, her character does not have as much screen time as I had hoped.
But Letitia Wright’s Shuri is clearly the focal point of the film, and while the actress gave a strong performance in the original as a supporting character, she stumbles a little leading the movie on her own but is ultimately helped by the rest of the cast’s strong supporting performances.
But it’s the movie’s new characters that really shine including the MCU introduction of Dominque Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart and Tenoch Huerta as Namor.
Thorne, who actually auditioned to play Shuri in the first ‘Black Panther,’ is excellent as the MIT student that will eventually become the MCU’s new Iron Man. Williams and Shuri hit it off right away, and the two actresses have great chemistry together. The character is a great addition to the MCU, and while the movie acts as a backdoor pilot to her upcoming Disney+ series, I can’t wait to see what they do with the show.
But the standout of the film is truly the introduction of Namor and the career-making performance by Tenoch Huerta. Namor first appeared in Marvel comics in 1939, but due to the film rights being tied-up at another studio, Marvel was not able to bring the character to the big screen until now.
It’s a shame that DC was able to launch an ‘Aquaman’ franchise first, because there will unenviably be comparisons. The Talokan people will also undoubtedly be compared to the characters in Disney’s other big sequel opening this year, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ as they are blue and have a passing resemblance to the Na’vi.
But the character looks very comic book accurate on screen, and the effects used for his ankle wings is fantastic. Huerta brings a lot of passion and gravitas to his role and is extremely commanding as Namor. While the character is basically a hero in the comics, he has had arcs where he is an anti-hero, so using him as the antagonist for this movie makes sense, but there is still room in the future of the MCU for the character to play a more heroic role.
There are a few surprise cameos that I won’t give away, one connected to the original ‘Black Panther,’ and another connecting to presumably the upcoming ‘Thunderbolts.’ And while there is no end-credit scene, there is a mid-credit scene that adds a heart-warming element to the franchise for future installments.
In the end, director Ryan Coogler has crafted a strong sequel and a truly beautiful film about loss and dealing with grief, that unfortunately can never surpass the original due to the seismic loss of Chadwick Boseman. Coogler and the cast have created a loving tribute to the late actor, but we’ll always have to wonder what this sequel could have been if Boseman had survived.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.
The new sequel follows the leaders of the kingdom of Wakanda as they fight to protect their nation from invading forces in the wake of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death, as a new threat emerges from the hidden undersea nation of Talokan ruled by Namor (Tenoch Huerta).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Ryan Coogler and actress Danai Gurira about their work on ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ what audiences can expect, the challenges of making the sequel, the death of Chadwick Boseman, how Okoye is dealing with the loss of T’Challa, and what it meant to Gurira to be part of this beloved franchise.
Danai Gurira stars in Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.’
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Coogler, Gurira, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livinalli.
MF: Danai, Okoye has been through so much since the first movie. She survived the Blip, battled Thanos, and now has lost her King again. Can you talk about where Okoye is mentally and emotionally when this movie begins?
Danai Gurira: She’s definitely in a very difficult place, but I think also she hasn’t allowed herself to fully live in the grief or to process it because she has to take care of the kingdom. She has to take care of the remaining royal family. She has to make sure that things remain stable and that the job is done.
They’re dealing with new threats, folks coming in, trying to steal things. So, there’s a lot that she has to stay very focused on, and I don’t think she’s taking the time. But I don’t think her or most of the people in the film have taken the time to process their grief.
MF: The movie is a very loving tribute to Chadwick Boseman, can you talk about how the emotions the characters are experiencing in the movie parallel how you all felt about the real-life loss of your friend?
DG: I mean, everything was dedicated to his honor. As Ryan said when he first told us we were doing it again, and that we were doing the second one without Chadwick, that clarity that “This is what he would’ve wanted” was very clear to him, and then it became very clear to us.
So, that was really the journey in there for us and the way that we were anchored was knowing that. So, Ryan was very amazing helping us navigate the story with that knowledge in the forefront. What he put together in terms of what the story had allowed us to feel a grounding, to feel grounded despite the fact that it was a very difficult time in terms of our own grief process.
MF: What has it meant to you to be a part of this franchise, that is so beloved by so many people, and get to play this character over the course of these films?
DG: It’s meant a great deal. I grew up definitely not seeing this sort of narrative told, and wondering why? I always was that kid who was like, “It didn’t make sense to me.” You know what I mean? There’re some folks who are like, “Oh, that’s just the way it is.” I was like, “No, no, no. It makes no sense.”
There’s no reason that people of different ethnicities or of African descent are not seen on epic scales on screen, like white people are. There’s just no reason. That was something that always annoyed me, and I did not accept it as just the way things were. I’m just excited. I was just excited it came to existence. The fact that I got to be a part of it on top of that just feels like a crazy blessing.
MF: What was it like working with Ryan Coogler again on this movie and watching him execute his vision for this specific sequel?
DG: It was pretty incredible. There was no easy task. There was nothing easy about making this film. There was absolutely nothing easy about it, and he had to hold on very tightly to a vision and to the clarity therein, and we had to really be anchored by him. He was an anchoring force in that regard and guided the process in a way that and was very helpful to us.
There are times I didn’t understand. In the very beginning, I didn’t understand what was going on with me. He’s like, “You’re going through grief. That’s grief.” I was like, “Oh crap. That is what this is.” There are times you can’t even isolate what you’re dealing with until someone helps you see it and helps you understand the journey you need to take. I think in some ways that was paralleling my character.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ director Ryan Coogler.
Moviefone: Ryan, what would you say to fans who have been looking forward to this sequel as they get ready to sit down and watch it?
Ryan Coogler: Honestly, I would say thank you for showing up, and then I would let the film speak for itself.
MF: Can you talk about the challenges as a director of making this sequel, and how the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman changed your plans for the movie?
RC: I would go backwards, and first talk about the challenges not specific to our personal and professional loss and the tragedy that was his passing. The movie’s big. It has a lot of locations and a lot of things that I had never done before. There’re seven languages spoken in the film, oftentimes by actors who aren’t fluent in the language that they’re speaking. I’m a monolingual person myself, you know what I’m saying?
So, it was a complicated process to direct those languages that I don’t speak. We wanted to do things sonically in the film that hadn’t really been done before, specifically around vocal work and music. We had to do set building and costume design, and lighting design that worked for sets that were amphibious, sets that worked dry, sets that worked wet, sets that could go from dry to wet on camera.
We had a whole regimen of free diving and water stunts that all of our main actors and all our main supporting actors had to do. Everybody had to get in the water at least 10 feet down most times. Some of our actors had never swam before, and that was something that we had to overcome together. As a director, I was not comfortable in the water like that before this movie. I had to get comfortable, so I could direct it.
So, it was a lot of challenges overall, not to mention the challenges that Joe (Robert Cole) and I had to deal with in terms of writing this thing. But the challenge of losing our lead actor, friend and leader was unique, and at times felt insurmountable. But quickly, once we wrapped our heads around it, we were motivated to make something that could continue on his personal legacy.
MF: Finally, can you talk about the choice to introduce Namor and Ironheart to the MCU with this movie, and the casting process for those roles?
RC: I feel blessed to be able to do it as a filmmaker. What’s great about Ironheart is, I got to work with an actor who’s style I was very familiar with in Dominique Thorne. She auditioned earlier on for Shuri, so I met her through that audition process and she was very young, but incredibly talented. I knew she was going places even though it didn’t work out for that role.
I got to work with her again in a producer capacity, where the production company that I founded was able to produce for Shaka King, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah.’ Shaka cast Dominique in that, so we got to work together in that capacity. I got to see her do some incredible work as Judy Harmon in that film, and she got cast in another friend and colleague of mine, Barry Jenkins’ film (‘If Beale Street Could Talk’). She had some great scene work in that.
So, when the opportunity came for us to cast Ironheart, I kind of had Dominique in mind already, knowing what she could do, and knowing how she had grown as an actress and as a young woman. So, I was happy to make that happen. We are also wrapping up production on our Disney+ series (‘Ironheart’) that my company Proximity Media is helping Marvel Studios produce, so I’m super excited about that. I feel honored to bring a character with that incredible history in publishing to life cinematically.
With Namor, what a gift to a filmmaker to have the opportunity to bring Namor to the big screen after nearly a century of history and publishing, and just no representation of him either in film or television. So, it was with great pleasure and tenacity that I wanted to make sure we represented Namor in the right way, but in a way that could exist inside of a ‘Black Panther’ film.
