When “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was released in March 2022, co-director Daniel Kwan wasn’t sure audiences would connect with the film and its multiverse premise, but it did.
“I tried to make a movie that everyone could relate to, and I knew it was going to fail,” said Kwan, who worked with co-creator Daniel Scheinert. “But it turns out we weren’t, like literally everyone has something they can relate to.”
Hollywood seems to agree. The A24 film will return to his 1,400 theaters across the country on Friday after earning more Oscar nominations than any other film this week, earning him 104.1 million worldwide.
The film is nominated for 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, at the March 12 Academy Awards. Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu are both vying for Best Supporting Actress, and Ke Huy Quan is a strong contender for Best Supporting Actor.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” follows Evelyn Wang, played by Yeo, a Chinese-American immigrant struggling with taxes, family relationships, and life in general. She then discovers that she can traverse parallel universes as different versions of herself to save the Multiverse and, possibly, her family ties.
Yeo, who already won a Golden Globe for the role, said that even after pouring love and collaboration into the film, she never knows how it will turn out.
“You can’t control how it’s received after it’s all done and out in the world. Sometimes I think it’s the placement of the stars,” said the Malaysian actress.
Kwan believes the film would not have been successful without Yeo. He said he drew other cast and crew members like a magnet when he wasn’t sure how the project would turn out.
Sue plays one of cinema’s most complex characters, both as Evelyn’s daughter Joy and multiverse villain Job.
She said it was a once-in-a-lifetime role and she completely blew up.
“I remember shooting the hallway scene where I was introduced to Jobu for the first time,” said Hsu. “And I’m wearing all these costumes. I’m like playing kung fu. It’s like blowing confetti in the cop’s face.”