“Everything Everywhere All At Once” won top honors from Hollywood’s directors Saturday, as the quirky indie sci- fi movie from two relatively unknown young filmmakers upstaged more famous rivals ahead of next month’s Oscars.
Directing double-act Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, both 35, fended off competition from the likes of Steven Spielberg to win the prize for best feature film at the Directors Guild of America’s annual gala in Beverly Hills.
“What the hell? Guys, thank you so much. This has been an incredible year for our little film that somehow keeps going,” said a visibly shocked Kwan.
In the film, Michelle Yeoh plays an immigrant laundry owner who is having her taxes audited and who gets sucked into an intergalactic conflict to save the multiverse from a formidable antagonist.
It gained enormous popularity through word-of-mouth last year, has made over $100 million globally, and now has the most nominations for Academy Awards this year with 11.
Together known as “Daniels,” Kwan and Scheinert began making music videos but were previously best known for the bizarre Daniel Radcliffe comedy “Swiss Army Man.”
Scheinert thanked his co-director Kwan “for putting up with me when I askedto make our movie weirder.”
“Thank you for making our movie so much braver and more vulnerable. What anhonor… this is crazy!”
