Zendaya and John David Washington’s secret quarantine project, Malcolm & Marie, is headed to Netflix, and the mysterious film is already at the very top of my queue.
Word about Malcolm & Marie first spread earlier during the pandemic when Zendaya broke the internet with a black and white still from the film, showing her in a close embrace with the Tenet star. She didn’t offer up any hints about what the plot may be, but the internet was sold nonetheless. Zendaya and John David Washington — say less.
Months later, more details about the secret film have emerged, piquing my interest further. The idea for the script, penned and directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, reportedly came from Zendaya herself; she asked her boss if he would be down to write a pandemic love story, and Malcolm & Marie was born. It is said to follow the relationship between a filmmaker named Malcolm (Washington) and his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya) following a movie premiere, tracing the strength of their connection as their hidden secrets are revealed.
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The movie was filmed from June 17 to July 2 exclusively at Feldman Architecture’s Caterpillar House in careful compliance with strict COVID-19 safety protocol, making it one of the first post-pandemic films to complete production.
Netflix confirmed that Malcolm & Marie would make its global debut on the streaming platform in the near future. Deadline reported that Netflix had signed a $30 million deal that gives it the worldwide rights to the film, beating out Apple, A24, and HBO to house the project.
"So grateful to this cast and crew, many of whom are my Euphoria family, for coming together during such uncertain times," wrote Levinson of the major deal. "We felt privileged to be able to make this film together and we did so with a lot of love. We are all thrilled that it has ended up with Netflix which is unparalleled in allowing filmmakers the freedom to tell their stories that reach audiences all over the world.”