Filming Challenges During Pandemic: The Daniels Overcame Obstacles to Shoot "Everything Everywhere All at Once" in Just 38 Days
The fantastical action film "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which sparked global discussion, centers on protagonist Evelyn Wang (played by Michelle Yeoh) needing to connect with different parallel universes to save the world. This premise allowed both Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu, who plays her daughter, to showcase a multitude of diverse looks, creating spectacular fashion moments throughout the film. Michelle Yeoh alone donned at least 40 different outfits, including her iconic character Yu Shu Lien from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," a glamorous movie star, a chef, and a Peking Opera performer. She even changed into 10 different looks in a single day, paying homage to numerous films – making the experience feel like watching a hundred movies in one. Given the limited time and budget, this presented a significant challenge for hair design director Anissa Salazar and costume designer Shirley Kurata. For instance, to create the Peking Opera look, they not only researched countless online videos but also relied on "Google God" for translations. When crafting the movie star universe's styles, they meticulously studied Wong Kar-wai films. And during the imaginative creation of the "hot dog fingers" universe, Michelle Yeoh endured quite a bit, even sharing photos on social media of her hands swollen from an allergic reaction to the "hot dog gloves" she wore for the film.
Beyond Michelle Yeoh's myriad transformations, Stephanie Hsu also sports numerous extravagant outfits, especially when she embodies the main antagonist, Jobu Tupaki. Her bizarre ensembles include a pink Elvis, the Goddess of the Bagel-verse, a wuxia warrior, and a golf-playing schoolgirl, drawing inspiration from various K-pop fashion styles. Paired with Hsu's superb acting, these looks are utterly captivating. In an interview with foreign media, Stephanie Hsu happily shared, "I absolutely loved the Elvis costume, the pink hair, and the pig on the belt!" Regarding the origin of the name Jobu Tupaki, Stephanie Hsu revealed that director Daniel Kwan was inspired while browsing interesting baby names, also paying homage to Chewbacca from "Star Wars."
"Everything Everywhere All at Once" was co-directed by the unconventional "Daniels" – Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known for "Swiss Army Man." Production was initially delayed due to the severe pandemic, and filming even involved simultaneous shooting and editing. During the scenes with Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan in the car, one actor was in Paris while the other was in Los Angeles, necessitating filming via Zoom. Michiko Nishiwaki, the "sexy dice queen" from "God of Gamblers," served as Michelle Yeoh's stunt double. Even director Daniel Scheinert personally stepped in to portray Jamie Lee Curtis's hand attempting to grab Michelle Yeoh. The entire crew collaborated to accomplish this impossible mission, completing filming in just 38 days. Jamie Lee Curtis also gained weight and "uglified" herself for the role. In interviews with foreign media, she repeatedly expressed her joy in working with Michelle Yeoh: "I learned so much. She is the master, and I am the student. She taught me not how hard to punch, but how to take a punch – that's an art." The close friends frequently share "lover" photos on social media.
Another astonishing highlight is the film's hand-drawn poster, created by Taiwanese-American illustrator James Jean. He has previously illustrated comic book covers for Marvel and DC, and designed movie posters for films like "Blade Runner 2049" and "The Shape of Water." Even the members of BTS are huge fans of his art style and have collaborated with him. For the "Everything Everywhere All at Once" poster, Jean incorporated numerous movie Easter eggs, including the googly eyes, hot dog finger universe, bagels, raccoons, the protagonist-antagonist showdown, and various props, all rendered in exquisite detail. The elements were so engaging that James Jean was thrilled, stating, "My hands went crazy for this." Coming from a Taiwanese immigrant family, much like director Daniel Kwan, Jean deeply understands the cultural and self-exploratory divisions and struggles. Daniel Kwan also mentioned in an interview that "Everything Everywhere All at Once" feels like an autobiographical film, as his family opened a laundromat when they immigrated to New York, and he often returned to visit his grandfather there as he grew up. Filled with fantasy, martial arts, memes, and mind-bending concepts, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" has garnered almost zero negative reviews both domestically and internationally. Local film critics universally praise it as a must-see film of the year, recommending multiple viewings. Its humorous style has led influencers to create countless memes and viral videos. The film premiered across Taiwan on April 22nd.
Synopsis: Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a 55-year-old Chinese-American immigrant, finds her family and laundromat business on the brink of collapse. On the day of her elderly father's (James Hong) birthday celebration, she must not only prevent her daughter (Stephanie Hsu) from coming out to him, clean up after her ineffectual husband (Ke Huy Quan), but also face the IRS to explain some rather dire tax issues to a rigid auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis). As she steps into the building's elevator, her seemingly meek husband suddenly transforms into a "Matrix"-esque figure, claiming to be a version of himself from another universe, and that Evelyn is also one of millions across the multiverse. Before she can fully comprehend, an evil force has already spread across the multiverse, threatening to destroy all existence. Only Evelyn, seemingly a nobody in *this* universe, can save the world...