Universal Pictures today announced that they have entered a five-year exclusive partnership with directing duo, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, and their producing partner Jonathan Wang. The team’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” released earlier this year to widespread critical acclaim, just passed the $100 million international mark, making it A24’s biggest hit ever.
“Daniels are creators who have evolved their craft with a distinct vision and singular voice that is unmistakable across the spectrum of content vying for viewer’s attention,” said Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, in an official statement. “Their films are remarkably theatrical and with only two original projects under their belts, they’ve merely scratched the surface of what they are capable of as filmmakers. We’re grateful they’ve chosen to go on their journey with us.”
“We’re flattered, grateful, and a bit overwhelmed. Thanks to Donna, Jimmy, Peter, Michael and their whole Universal team for believing in us and our weird movies,” Daniels said in an official statement. “To all the fans, thanks for making our careers possible, we’re gonna try to not let you down.”
While Daniels have only made two features as a pair (their first, “Swiss Army Man,” featured Harry Potter himself Daniel Radcliffe as a farting corpse), their unique approach to filmmaking, combining a handcrafted aesthetic with big ideas (as evidenced by the success of “Everything Everywhere All At Once”), has served them well in music videos (most famously Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What”) and television shows (“On Becoming a God in Central Florida,” “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens”). Their next project is a television series called “Mason” for Showtime (produced by A24).
Their jump to a more high-profile studio partnership seems, at this point, inevitable. The Daniels were courted by Marvel Studios for the first season of “Loki” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once” was co-produced by “Avengers: Endgame” filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO, the studio behind “The Gray Man.” It wasn’t a case of if but when.
This also solidifies Universal Studios’ filmmaker-first approach, as they join a group that includes Jordan Peele, M. Night Shyamalan and now Christopher Nolan, among others.
“Everything Everywhere All At Once,” starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jenny Slate and Jamie Lee Curtis, was just re-released into theaters nationwide.
