On her official Instagram account, Zhao shared a throwback photo from the test screening of Eternals, which was evidently held in a parking lot. At the time, many countries had imposed strict lockdowns, and so an indoor screening at a theatre would not have been allowed. Turns out that the Eternals team set up their own makeshift theatre and screened the film for a live audience to experience.
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In the image shared by Zhao, a large screen, several seats, and spotlights are set up in an outdoor setting. Upon looking closely, the parking spots are clearly visible, and some buildings also loom in the background. Zhao revealed that the parking lot was “right off the highway,” and the audience had to watch Eternals for the first time amid “traffic noise, helicopters, and mosquitos.”
Despite the circumstances that the premiere was held in, Zhao confesses to having a “great time,” mostly because they were able to have an audience watch the film on a big screen. Of course, this is before the Marvel Studios film’s release was pushed by a whole year, something that the studio would not have anticipated. Test screenings for films are usually held not too long before the actual premiere, and it is a way for the studio to gauge the audience’s reaction.
Unfortunately, in the case of Eternals, the test screening was held more than a year before the rest of the world got to meet the latest heroes to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite the gap, Zhao is grateful that her film has finally reached the masses, and thanked all the theatre workers for “keeping our shared storytelling space open and safe.”
Eternals is now showing at theatres.
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Source: Chloe Zhao/Instagram
