At this point, it’s easy to write The Daniels off as the wild children of A24. Ever since their directorial debut Swiss Army Man (2016), they have defied expectations by making art that spoke to something heartfelt yet juvenile. In a move that nobody saw coming, they would create a movie so crazy and so beloved that it would lead the studio to their second Best Picture Oscar. On the surface, it’s not exactly the title that casual fans would predict to take it all, but as 2022 went on, the success of Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) was undeniable. In an age of multiverse cinema, it epitomized the limitless potential of their minds. It not only would become their calling card, but also was hailed as one of the greatest films of the 21st century.
When The Daniels were last seen, Daniel Scheinert had split from Daniel Kwan to make The Death of Dick Long (2019). The premise was darker and more challenging, leading to a predictable dip in acclaim for the director. As everyone awaited the next stage for The Daniels, Scheinert joked that they would be reuniting for a film about a Chinese woman doing her taxes. The fake title, “Bubbles,” referenced how the multiverse idea could be contained within a bubble that stood a good chance of popping if not taken care of. Given that there were other symbols throughout – most notably the bagel – it wasn’t that difficult to think that Scheinert was being sincere.
In order to understand Everything Everywhere All At Once, one has to travel further back. Despite the recent wave of multiverse stories starting to emerge in pop culture, The Daniels had come up with the idea back in 2010. They claimed to have learned about modal realism from the documentary Sherman’s March (1986), which caused them to spiral into various ideas. They originally envisioned it as a project for Jackie Chan before realizing that it would be more interesting to explore the same story from the wife’s perspective, believing that it could also be used to comment on generational trauma and the various ways that lead to familial detachment. As ideas became more cemented, they began to sell the film as “Mom is in The Matrix (1999).” Add in some influence from filmmaker Wong Kar Wai and various types of philosophy, and the film became an ever-expanding idea.
Alongside Michelle Yeoh as the lead was Ke Huy Quan, best known as a child actor who left the industry. According to Quan, his return was serendipitous with being cast. He claimed to have seen the all Asian cast of Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and felt inspired to try again. It had been 20 years since he had last been in a film and, by some luck, Quan fit the projected role. The actor prepared for the role with a vocal coach, especially since he hadn’t read lines in a long time. In supporting roles were 91-year-old James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, and Jenny Slate. There were rumors that Crazy Rich Asians actor Awkwafina was offered a role, of which was never revealed. Many believe that it would’ve been Hsu’s part.
If there had been an issue with Everything Everywhere All At Once taking 12 years to reach completion, it was the changing tastes in culture. The Daniels admitted to how disappointed they were to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) cover similar territory. They also had to stop watching the [adult swim] series Rick and Morty when they believed that the show had achieved everything they wanted to do.
Another key detail that changed over the course of writing was Scheinert’s relationship with neurodivergence. He claimed to have written the then male lead as having ADHD as a shorthand way of being distracted enough to enter multiverses. The more that he studied, the more he took the condition seriously and eventually discovered that he was on the spectrum. While the themes are still present in the script, they are placed alongside other details within the film that could be considered abstract and bizarre.
Despite being released in 2022, the film shot between January and March 2020. With financing from A24, The Daniels took to Simi Valley, CA to produce a film that they claimed was shot for the crafting budget of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Despite the massive level of imagery and sets, they were able to shoot everything for relatively cheap. It also helped that a lot of it was shot in-camera, with many of the action scenes shot relatively quick. The famous fanny pack fight was said to have been completed in a day and a half. Given that many of the stuntmen were also cast in supporting roles, there was a fluid production that was locked in from beginning to end.
Another detail that captured the cleverness of The Daniels’ vision was how much of the dialogue was about aspects lost in translation. Yeoh, Quan, and Hsu all shared the English language as a base communication. From there, they’d have an additional vernacular that wasn’t completely in touch with the others. For example, Yeoh would talk to Hsu in Chinese, but Hsu’s grasp of the language would be broken enough that it caused rifts. The Daniels also encouraged Hsu to play a more metatextual character who disliked the film’s structure. She was initially opposed, believing that the script was great and she loved it too much.
Something to consider with Everything Everywhere All At Once is that even with its massive scope, it wasn’t what the original production looked like. The original cut was said to be over 40 minutes longer, with entire subplots removed to improve pacing. A noteworthy removal came from a “spaghetti boy,” who had a lengthier scene on par with the hot dog fingers, yet was reduced to a quick throwaway gag. Similarly, there were moments involving Yeoh’s ashes and Slate talking via Facetime to her son that disappeared. Finally, The Daniels said to have removed an extensive use of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl,” which would open the film before having a large group sing towards the end.
The music they did use included Nine Days’ “Absolutely (Story of a Girl),” which they interpolated for various scenes. The singer of the band collaborated with The Daniels and even produced fictional band artwork for the alternate universes. There would also be collaborations from musicians that included Talking Heads’ David Byrne, Mitski, and Randy Newman in an uncredited role as the Ratatouille (2007) parody Racacoonie. They would also provide music to the score alongside artists like Andre 3000 on flute.
In one of the more impressive feats, The Daniels wrapped production in March 2020. To provide context, this was at the tail end of the period before quarantine and lockdowns were enforced. While filmmakers like Paul Schrader had to fight to finish their films, The Daniels were ostensibly done with the main body of work. While there would be some reshoots they had to achieve by doing green screens, they finished right as Covid-19 put Hollywood on hiatus.
Two significant things to consider during this stage of production are the special effects and the use of score composition. Having had a terrible experience working on Swiss Army Man with a visual effects company, The Daniels decided to hire nine people who were unprofessional and inexperienced with the VFX software. It is said that they would watch free tutorials and learn that way, eventually creating the final look of the film.
The score was completed by Son Lux, who The Daniels were fans of and had a specific idea in mind. Over the course of three years, they were given freedom to make the music however they wanted. The one catch was that The Daniels wanted them to work independently of each other in order to create a larger mix of ideas that could create a strange world. The results featured over 100 cues as well as tons of instrumental twists and classic score references that made it a lot more esoteric than the conventional alternatives.
The completed film would make its premiere at South By Southwest in 2022. The Daniels acknowledged that it was the first time they felt content with something they had made. They also took Curtis’ emotional response to the film to be a sign that they had succeeded. As an actress who had worked for decades in the industry, they were taken aback by how responsive she was. The audience was also keen on celebrating its exploration of a Chinese family who felt more familiar than the general representation. There was also a handful of comments about the opening shot being triggering because they had parents whose workspaces looked similar. From there, the film’s success spiraled into a March 2022 release.
Even if A24 had mastered effective campaigns, it can be argued that their expectations for Everything Everywhere All At Once might’ve been a bit undersold. They started in limited release before slowly expanding by April. The early totals were promising, creating some of the strongest per-theater averages in the company’s history. The additional word of mouth encouraged a lengthy shelf life that resulted in some seismic results. It beat Hereditary (2018) as A24’s highest-grossing film domestically before topping Uncut Gems (2019) as the international hit. With $142 million, over $90 million more than second place, it remains their highest-grossing film as of 2025. Another incredible feat is that, with 16 weeks in the box office Top 10 and additional rereleases, it became the first indie film post-pandemic to achieve a $100 million box office gross.
In some respect, Everything Everywhere All At Once is a film that hasn’t gone anywhere. The constant praise means that it remains one of the most discussed A24 films in history, with a 2025 poll by New York Times listing it in the Top 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century. Even at the time, enthusiasm was high with critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes giving it a daunting 94% rating. Rose Ho of The Asian Cut lead the charge when noting, “An endlessly creative, goofy, and ultimately heartfelt film.” Similarly, Brittany Patrice Witherspoon of Pop Culture Reviews shared the esteem by claiming, “It’s hard to grasp how a film so chaotic and heavy with action sequences could produce a theater experience that encompasses equal amounts of fun with emotional sedulity. But the Daniels manage this great task with ease.” Bill Newcott of The Saturday Evening Post was one of the few who disagreed, arguing, “EEAAO is that insufferable child whose parents trot her out in tap shoes, then watch to make sure you register adequate amazement at her Buffalo turns and Bombershays. You appreciate the kid’s skill and preparation — but gawd, how you wish it were over.” Along with endless end-of-the-year accolades, it was safe to say that the film was among a bright mix of talent.
The superlatives came early and often for The Daniels. During awards season, Everything Everywhere All At Once became only the fifth film to sweep the guilds. Along with 10 BAFTA nominations, everything was looking up for the big night. The film would receive an impressive 11 nominations, including recognition in all four acting categories. To celebrate the ceremony, Scheinert wore a second-hand tuxedo from a specialized Alabama store that sold belongings found in lost luggage.
On the surface, it was a significant night for one reason. It won Best Picture while winning 7 of the 11 nominations. This would make it the most awarded film since Gravity (2013) and the first Best Picture winner to reach that total since Slumdog Millionaire (2008). The Daniels also became the ninth and tenth people in Oscar history to win Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay for the same title. Kwan also became the seventh person to win for their second directorial feature. The co-directors were also the first American winners of Best Director since Damien Chazelle for La La Land (2016). In the realm of science fiction, it became only the second film to win Best Picture after The Shape of Water (2018), and was also the most awarded in the genre. It was also the only Best Picture winner to be released in March since The Godfather (1972).
The other fields had their own share of standouts. Yeoh would become the first Asian (and more specifically Malaysian) artist to win Best Actress. Curtis became only the third actress winner to have both of her parents – Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh – nominated for Oscars. Quan, meanwhile, stole the show with his friendly demeanor and overall sense of gratitude. It could be because his win marked another unique achievement. Having last been seen in Second Time Around (2002), his Best Supporting Actor win marked the second-longest hiatus (at 20 years) before winning after George Burns in The Sunshine Boys (1975) at 36 years. The overall longest hiatus to be nominated was Gloria Stuart for Titanic (1997) at 51 years. Quan was also the first Vietnamese actor to receive an Oscar. While no film has won all four acting categories, Everything Everywhere All At Once would be the third film to win a total of three acting categories. Given that the other winner was Brendan Fraser for The Whale (20222), it would also mark a rare instance of one studio winning the entire field.
Despite some complaints suggesting that it didn’t deserve to win, it solidified The Daniels as two of the most ambitious young filmmakers currently working. While they’ve since split their time between music video and TV work, including on Quan’s TV series (and fellow multiverse story) Loki, anticipation remains high for whatever they do next. Like their most recent film, a lot of key details are shrouded in mystery as to what’s next. For now, it’s safe to assume that it’ll be just as off-kilter as what came before. Will it get them back into the Oscar conversation, or was it a fluke? Rarely has an A24 pair’s follow-up had so much to live up to. The one thing that is known is that it’s not likely to be with the company that launched their career. There are current plans to release it via Universal.
When all is said and done, the A24 brand was holding up very well in the post-pandemic years. Even for those who expected The Daniels to deliver another deliriously fun ride, nobody could’ve predicted the level of success that they would achieve, becoming one of the rare indies to do serious box office since the pandemic. Of course, the devil is in the details, and the layers reflect the craft of weirdo filmmakers who have as much heart as they do perversity. On some level, the same could be said for A24’s next film, which found a returning filmmaker producing a high-concept work that sought to get him back into The Oscars’ good graces. The only difference is that it would end up being his most divisive title and the turning point for an otherwise stellar reputation.
Coming Up Next: Men (2022)
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