Chloé Zhao Says ‘Eternals’ Gave Her “Unlimited Money and Resources” Which Proved to Be Dangerous

Chloé Zhao has returned to more intimate filmmaking with her latest project, Hamnet. Zhao told reporters that Eternals was a unique experience because it gave her “an unlimited amount of money and resources,” which was very different from her earlier dramas like Nomadland and The Rider.

“Eternals prepared me for Hamnet because it’s world-building. Before that, I had only done films that existed in the real world. I also learned what to do and not to do—what’s realistic and what isn’t,” Zhao said.

She explained that having unlimited resources in Eternals was exciting but also dangerous, whereas Hamnet has a very small, focused set: “Because we only have that street corner [in Hamnet], suddenly everything has meaning.”

Zhao noted that while she worked with major studio executives on Eternals, for Hamnet she had the support of filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes. “Their feedback was very filmmaker-driven because they’re both incredible filmmakers, so when they gave me notes, they were already infused with what they knew was my style,” she said.

“Even when I did things that probably were confusing or didn’t make sense to people, they would say, ‘You know what? We trust her. Let her do her thing.’”

Eternals, released in 2021, is a Marvel superhero film based on the Eternals, a race of immortal beings.

The film was directed by Zhao and written by Zhao along with Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo. It features a large ensemble cast including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, and Barry Keoghan. In the movie, the Eternals emerge from hiding to protect Earth from their ancient rivals, the Deviants.

Critics were mixed on Eternals. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 47% approval rating from 417 critics, with an average score of 5.6/10, and Metacritic gives it a score of 52 out of 100 based on 62 reviews. “An ambitious superhero epic that soars as often as it strains, Eternals takes the MCU in intriguing—and occasionally confounding—new directions,” reads Rotten Tomatoes’ critical consensus.

Audiences gave it a “B” on CinemaScore, the lowest for any MCU film at the time, while PostTrak reported 78% positive reactions, with 60% saying they would definitely recommend it.

Eternals earned $164.9 million in North America and $237.2 million internationally, totaling $402.1 million worldwide. Its opening weekend brought in $162 million globally, with IMAX contributing over $13.6 million, making it one of the largest worldwide openings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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