Director Nia DaCosta has been accused of showing a lack of interest and dedication to her latest movie, The Marvels, so missing a cast and crew screening to attend her own birthday party is only adding to the side eyes.
There was a screening of the latest MCU entry Nov. 8 at Westwood’s Fox Village Theatre where cast and crew were expected to take part, according to The Hollywood Reporter. With the screening starting at 7:30 pm, actors were prevented from participating due to the SAG-AFTRA strike that didn’t end until midnight.
But DaCosta was free to attend as the film’s director and expected at the event since she attended the film’s Las Vegas premiere the night before. The Candyman director was a no-show, celebrating her 34th birthday, staffers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe say.
Marvels executive producer Mary Livanos stepped in for DaCosta and introduce the film. Now DaCosta is facing more criticism from Marvel insiders who feel she’s shown a complete disregard for the film and the MCU.
A rep for DaCosta said “it would be quite disrespectful and upsetting to suggest Nia has anything other than adoration for her creative team.” Reportedly the director had no idea the screening was taking place and learned about it when she invited members of the cast and crew to her birthday party.
“Nia would have been there,” the rep added. “She would do anything for her cast and crew.”
The latest incident comes after a Variety interview where DaCosta called out “pockets” of fans for being “virulent and violent and racist—and sexist and homophobic.”
All the while, DaCosta is proud of the glass ceiling she was able to break as the first Black woman to direct an MCU film. “Most people seeing the movie aren’t going to know or care about that,” she said. “For other young Black women who want to be filmmakers, I think it’s important to be an example.”
DaCosta is currently in pre-production on her forthcoming film, Hedda, starring Eve Hewson and Tessa Thompson.
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