One of the first things that struck director S.J. Clarkson about was that this was a superhero who did not have superhuman strength. And unlike Batman, she couldn鈥檛 just buy herself some. No, Cassandra Webb has a different kind of power: Clairvoyance.
This, the veteran television director found interesting.
鈥淚 saw the challenge of clairvoyance and the fact that it didn鈥檛 necessarily scream action as its biggest virtue,鈥� Clarkson said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. 鈥淏ecause then we could explore the fact that you don鈥檛 need superhuman strength to be a superhero.鈥�
How does one depict clairvoyance? Well, for that, she turned to the movies, re-watching Nicolas Roeg鈥檚 鈥淒on鈥檛 Look Now,鈥� Christopher Nolan鈥檚 鈥淢emento鈥� and 鈥淚nception鈥� and the Wachowskis鈥� 鈥淭he Matrix.鈥�
鈥淚 just sort of went across the board looking at movies that had done that, you know, and some horror. I was trying to find that sort of thrilling, scary space,鈥� she said.
鈥淢adame Web鈥� (currently in theaters) is the first of Sony鈥檚 Spider-Man spinoffs (including 鈥淰enom鈥� and 鈥淢orbius鈥�) that is centered on a woman. Clarkson had long admired as an actor and was thrilled to get the chance to direct her.
鈥淪he has such depth and breadth as an actor. She grounds everything. She finds the nuance and pathos in everything. But she鈥檚 also very funny,鈥� Clarkson said. 鈥淚t was important to me that we didn鈥檛 sort of, like, take ourselves too seriously. Yes, it鈥檚 a psychological thriller, but there needs to be moments of levity.鈥�
Johnson was excited about the prospect too, even if she never thought she would be in a comic book movie.
鈥淚 just loved that it was about a young woman whose power is her mind,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淎nd I thought that that was really important and inspiring.鈥�
And, perhaps most importantly, Johnson felt safe under Clarkson鈥檚 leadership.
鈥淪he just had everything under control,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 worry for a second that it wasn鈥檛 going to be great. Ultimately, like in the edit or even on set, it鈥檚 just, she鈥檚 so detail oriented and she operates on such a high level 鈥� I just felt really held and I really, you know, trusted her.鈥�
In Johnson, Clarkson said she found an 鈥渋ncredible collaborator throughout,鈥� acknowledging the challenge of having to visually showcase the act of seeing into the future.
鈥淢any of those scenes that she鈥檚 in, nothing鈥檚 happening. It鈥檚 just her reacting and me saying, this is what鈥檚 going to happen in the future when we film it, right? It really was a bit like clairvoyance for her in that she didn鈥檛 actually get to see it,鈥� Clarkson said. 鈥淪o to have that sort of partnership in that creative collaboration was imperative and invaluable, and we wouldn鈥檛 have what we have without it.鈥�
Clarkson has television credits going back 20 years, to the BBC soap opera 鈥淒octors.鈥� A journeyman director, she鈥檚 helmed episodes of 鈥淗eroes,鈥� where she first met a very young Sydney Sweeney, 鈥淒exter,鈥� 鈥淗ouse,鈥� 鈥淥range is the New Black,鈥� 鈥淪uccession鈥� and, most recently, all six episodes of Netflix鈥檚 鈥淎natomy of a Scandal,鈥� which she also executive produced. And she鈥檇 had some superhero experience too with Marvel鈥檚 鈥淛essica Jones.鈥� She鈥檚 found both times that the 鈥渞ichness of the comics鈥� provided her with an extraordinary foundation from which to leap.
鈥淭his is an origin story,鈥� Clarkson said. 鈥淪o for me it was like, how can we get the spirit and the essence of this character, and how can we take the things that we know about her and then work backwards and find out what would make the most interesting, fulfilling story with as much depth and breadth of that character to bring her to where she is today and where we will know that she鈥檚 going to be in the future.鈥�
The movie also has some easter eggs for Marvel superfans, including the name of a diner where a crucial showdown happens, and a hat tip to 鈥淢adame Web鈥檚鈥� original creators, writer Denny O鈥橬eil and artist John Romita Jr.
But for Johnson and Clarkson, the ultimate goal to was to create something fresh.
鈥淚t feels really fun to be a part of something that鈥檚 also kind of removed and fresh and a new kind of take on a superhero movie,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so grounded and it鈥檚 more of like a psychological thriller than what I鈥檝e seen superheroes do before.鈥�
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