ETERNALS Director Chloe Zhao Says She Drew Inspiration From INTERSTELLAR, THE REVENANT, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, and More

Marvel’s Eternals looks like it going to be an epic and unique MCU film, but director Chloe Zhao drew inspiration from several other great, notable films to help in an effort to tell this ambitious story.

During a recent interview with Fandango, Zhao opened up about the the Eternals and how it was inspired by films from Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, Terrence Malick, Stanley Kubrick, and more. She shared:

"I would say I pay tribute to many films and filmmakers that had great influence on me in this movie. It becomes fanfare for me [laughs]...I try to let them inspire me in different parts of the movie because the film is so diverse, visually. I could do a lot of different things. Particularly with the team at Marvel — our visual effects team, the action units, the design teams — we watched [Terrence] Malick films, particularly 'The Tree of Life' and 'The New World.' We watched 'The Revenant' a lot, and 'Interstellar' a lot. We watched 'Blade Runner 2049' and a film called 'Samsara.' We watched that a lot. Obviously '2001: A Space Odyssey' was very important, too. So, these were the films we had on repeat, and of course, there's many other things in my life that I've watched that snuck into it."

It definitely looks like this film captures the tone and energy of those films. Now that she mentions them, you can totally see it in the trailers that have been released so far. Zhao went on to talk about the story dealing with characters who have walked the Earth for 7,000 years and how Marvel works with distinct filmmakers to bring distinct visions to life.

"Well, I think Marvel Studios has always worked with filmmakers [who have] very distinct voices, and that's why the films are different. But I think for this specific movie, what drew me to this movie and why they hired me, I think, is that the visual experience for this film must feel immersive enough for the audience to believe that these superhero characters have walked the earth for 7,000 years. So, to do that, there's what I like to call an anthropological way of capturing things. The cameras are very grounded, and the movements are very natural. Shots are longer — we use wide angle lenses, and deep focus. Very similar to the thing you and I did together for Nomadland... it's about giving the audience the space and the time to be able to explore what's within the frame, and therefore come to their own conclusion of the relationship between the characters and the space they're in."

The story takes place across two time periods. “One storyline is set in the past when they operated as a formidable team and a close family unit. The second storyline is in the present, when the group has fractured and split apart, content to live among humans, hiding in plain sight. The prevailing threat of the Deviants, which once again threatens the existence of mankind, means the Eternals need to put their differences aside and regroup."

The cast for the film includes Gemma Chan as humankind-loving Sersi, Richard Madden as the all-powerful Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as cosmic-powered Kingo, Lia McHugh as the eternally young, old-soul Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry as the intelligent inventor Phastos, Lauren Ridloff as the super-fast Makkari, Barry Keoghan as aloof loner Druig, Don Lee as the powerful Gilgamesh, with Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, with Salma Hayek as the wise and spiritual leader Ajak, and Angelina Jolie as the fierce warrior Thena.

Marvel's Eternals hits theaters on November 5, 2021.