Director Cate Shortland Might Helm Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ Movie
Marvel is narrowing down their search for aBlack Widowdirector. Reports indicate several female filmmakers are on the shortlist to helm the film, but Australian directorCate Shortlandmight be the finalist.
Marvel Studios has been promising fans aBlack Widowsolo movie for years. The boilerplate answer fromKevin Feigeand Marvel was that the film would happen “when the time was right.” That time is apparently now, because Marvel is getting serious about making theScarlett Johansson-starring film happen.Deadlinereports that Marvel is moving forward with the film, and they’ve narrowed down a shortlist of female filmmakers to direct. While several names are on this shortlist, the only specific filmmaker Deadline mentions is Cate Shortland, an Australian director who helmed the 2017 filmBerlin Syndromeand the 2012 movieLore.
In 2016, Marvel Studios PresidentKevin Feigesaidthat Marvel was “committing” to aBlack Widowmovie. In 2017, Johansson said getting the film made was all a matter oftiming:
“I’ve talked to Kevin Feige about it. We’re creatively really compatible. I think we both agree that the character is right for a standalone, it’s just a case of timing at this point for both Marvel and myself. Marvel has a really huge roster. They’re looking four years ahead. I also have a lot of things that I want to do. If I did it, I would dedicate myself completely to making it amazing. It would have to be the best version that movie could possibly be. Otherwise, I would never do it.”
At the start of 2018, wordbrokethat Marvel hired up-and-coming writerJac Schaefferto pen a script for theBlack Widowmovie. Schaeffer wrote an alien invasion script calledThe Showerthat ended up on The Black List. As for Shortland, she’s certainly not a well-known name, but not every MCU film needs a big name at the helm. In fact, most Marvel films have been directed by filmmakers who come from small, indie backgrounds. Here’s theBerlin Syndrometrailer, to give you an idea of Shortland’s visual style.
Berlin Syndrome Trailer
This has an indie movie vibe to it, which probably wont translate into the MCU should Shortland land the gig. Here’s the trailer forLore, which looks a bit more stylish.
Lore Trailer
There’s a recurring theme in Shortland’s work so far: female characters surviving trauma. That would fit in well withBlack Widow, a character with a traumatic background. “I’ve got red in my ledger,” Johansson’s assassin once said.
“Most of my characters have a hard time,” Shortland toldThe Independent. “But I don’t want to tell stories which are just black and dark and upsetting. I want people to leave the cinemas feeling there is a way out. That there is a way of connecting to other people, or to themselves. I don’t want to make something that’s just nihilist. I want to connect to people.”
