Sam Levinson’s Malcolm & Marie, a drama in black-and-white that was notably written and filmed amid the pandemic, is out on Netflix today.
Star and frequent Levinson collaborator Zendaya marked the new movie’s release with an extended statement on her social channels, telling fans she was “full of excitement and nervousness” about the movie hitting the streamer.
“Normally I’m pretty self-critical and that leads me to be far too fearful to make things myself or trust myself enough to even try,” Zendaya, whose most recent Euphoria output includes two special “bridge episodes” that were widely acclaimed, said on Thursday night. “This is really my first time believing that maybe I could. This is my first time being a leading lady, but also my first time being this creatively involved in something, producing something, co-financing something, owning something and sharing it all with my crew.”
The film, in which Zendaya co-stars with John David Washington, was shot in 14 days with a 22-person crew. As Zendaya explained, the movie and 2020 at large represents an opportunity to get back in touch with a collective feeling of gratitude.
“If there’s anything to learn from this year, and I hope from our little movie, it’s gratitude for every moment and every person we get to love,” Zendaya said. “To stop and acknowledge the people in our lives who make it possible to do the work we do and honestly, make life worth living. It comes in many forms and sometimes it’s just a thank you.”
Also on release day, Levinson spoke with Esquire about the mid-pandemic production and the movie-spurred debate on the role of film critics. Peep that here.
And late last month, Khal gave readers an inside look at the production, complete with expansive comments from Levinson and Zendaya. Revisit that here ahead of/after catching the movie on Netflix.
