In a recent interview, Kumail Nanjiani opened up about his experience working on a Marvel Studios film. But in describing how Marvel treats their stars, he was refreshingly candid about a broader problem plaguing the studio and industry that needs fixing.
In an interview with the We Might Be Drunk Podcast, Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani, who turned 47 years old in May, was asked whether it was awesome being in a big-budget movie. While the Kingo actor called it "great" and described being "in the lap of luxury," he also raised timely questions about production budgets, suggesting a lot of financial waste is baked into the Hollywood system:
"That's what's great about it. Yes, the budget is insane. You're really in the lap of luxury. They give you a driver and he was a great guy, we became friends, still talk to him, take you wherever you want, whenever you want, weekend, day off, whatever it is. He drove me to Stonehenge, which is like a few hours away, drove me back, me and Emily, both of us back."
He went on to discuss how "amazing" the food is, as well as his personalized meal plans, saying, "They give you five meals a day that are exactly for you:"
"The food's amazing... So they do this thing where you go, and you talk to the guy, and you tell him. They have your exact macros, exact calories. They give you five meals a day that are exactly for you. Everybody's meals are different. Different quantities... and you could be like, 'Hey, tonight, I'm going to go do this.' So they adjust it and fix it for you. Or like, 'Oh, on the weekend, I want to go out and have Indian food...'"
When asked whether he stayed at a nice hotel during the Eternals shoot, Kumail Nanjiani noted it was "an apartment" before acknowledging and commenting on "how much is money is being wasted" on movie sets:
"Well, we had an apartment, yeah. Nice apartment. Yeah, no, it's great. I mean, you do realize on movie sets how much money is being wasted. And you hear like, you know, 'This movie was cheap, it was $10 million.' And you're like, '10 million? So much money. How does it take so much money to make something that looks like s***?' So much money is wasted... Lot of wasted time..."
Directed by Academy Award-winning Chloé Zhao, Eternals was one of Marvel Studios' most ambitious films and a departure from the brand's traditional formula. In addition to Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Eternals featured a stellar ensemble cast, including Gemma Chan, Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, and more. The film, which follows a group of immortal heroes who have lived on Earth for thousands of years, premiered in 2021 as part of Phase 4 of the MCU. But despite its star power, director, and Marvel's confidence that Eternals would be a hit, the movie was met with mixed reviews by critics and audiences.
Why Hollywood Should Take Kumail Nanjiani’s Budget Critique Seriously
Even though Eternals boasted a core ensemble of 10 heroes, and each star likely received the same or similar treatment as Kumail Nanjiani, it's worth noting that the 2021 movie didn't even crack Marvel Studios' five most expensive films (check out the 10 most expensive Marvel movies ever made here!). Still, while Nanjiani clearly enjoyed and appreciated how well big-budget productions, like Marvel Studios' Eternals, pampered their talent, his honest comments still highlight a need for reevaluation within the industry.
As audiences' viewing habits continue to evolve and amidst the impact of streaming and economic uncertainty, movies and studios would be wise to tighten their belts and audit their budgets. Not only is there excessive waste, as Nanjiani pointed out, but these films also face the pressure of having to outperform their sky-high budgets just to be considered financially successful.
Moving forward, Kumail Nanjiani's first-hand experience and his argument are ones that studios should seriously consider. While luxurious treatment may be enjoyable for a film's cast, bloated budgets and wasted time are unlikely to generate better results and actually create hurdles for the movie at the box office.
Find out what Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said about the Eternals' MCU future here!
