When COVID-19 forced just about every production around the globe to shut down early this year, a number of talented folks were left with nothing to do. One of those productions was HBO's Euphoria, but creator Sam Levinson wasn't about to sit idle and whipped out a script for for a feature-film in less than a week. With a bare-bones crew, Levinson directed MALCOLM & MARIE over the summer, a drama starring Zendaya (Euphoria) and John David Washington (TENET). Following a heated bidding war with a number of distributors, which reportedly included HBO, Amazon, Apple, and more, Netflix acquired MALCOLM & MARIE for $30 million in September and thanks to THR, we've finally learned when we'll get to see the film for ourselves.
According to the outlet, MALCOLM & MARIE will debut on Netflix on February 5, 2021, and there are already plans in place for an Oscar campaign. Shot on 35mm in black and white, the film has been compared to WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? as it tells the story of a director (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) as their relationship is tested while awaiting the critical response to his latest project. You can also check out a new image from the film below.
The official synopsis for MALCOLM & MARIE:
Sam Levinson teams up with Zendaya and John David Washington for an achingly romantic drama in which a filmmaker (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) return home following a celebratory movie premiere as he awaits what’s sure to be an imminent critical and financial success. The evening suddenly takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the strength of their love.
MALCOLM & MARIE will hit Netflix on February 5, 2021, but we'll get to see John David Washington when TENET is released on Digital/DVD/Blu-ray/4K UHD on December 15, 2021. As for Zendaya, she will appear in Denis Villenueve's DUNE on October 1, 2021 and is currently shooting the third SPIDER-MAN film alongside Tom Holland.