The movie was filmed under strict Covid-19 guidelines.
Did you know that Zendaya filmed an entire movie during quarantine? Malcolm & Marie, which Z made with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, was made under strict social distancing guidelines, and now fans can see what the movie is all about thanks to the first official trailer, which dropped on Twitter on January 8.
The two-and-a-half minute trailer is shot entirely in black and white and also stars BlacKkKlansman actor John David Washington; he and Zendaya play the titular Malcolm and Marie, a couple whose relationship may be about to change due to potential looming success for filmmaker Malcolm. Throughout the trailer, we see the couple laughing and flirting, then experiencing tension, distance, and pain. “It’s not until you’re about to lose someone that you finally pay attention,” Zendaya-as-Marie says at one point.
Malcolm & Marie isn’t a rom-com or a sweet fairytale romance. It’s much grittier and more realistic than that, aiming to show all the aspects of love and relationships, even the less-than-pretty ones. “This is not a love story,” reads the trailer. “This is the story of love.”
The movie was filmed during the summer, and the cast and crew took extra precautions to create a safe environment. It was filmed at Caterpillar House in Monterey County, and everyone involved took COVID-19 tests and quarantined for two weeks. Masks and social distancing precautions were taken whenever possible, and only 12 people were allowed on set at any given time. The group even rehearsed and ate dinner in the parking lot, and Zendaya was her own stylist and makeup artist throughout the shoot. “It was an actor’s dream. But it was also a little nerve-racking,” she said of the experience in an interview with Elle. “When you have an idea, and you’re putting your own money into it — I mean, I was literally using my own clothes on set and doing my own hair and makeup — it’s hard not to get a little bit insecure.”
Despite the unique filming environment, the Malcolm & Marie team made it work, and the movie looks heartbreakingly gorgeous and totally relatable — not to mention an important piece of COVID-19-era art. Malcolm & Marie hits Netflix on February 5.