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Though Everything Everywhere All at Once was released in 2022, co-directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert first began developing the film, centered on the concept of a “multiverse,” in 2010. Their interest in the concept was first sparked by Ross McElwee’s 1986 documentary Sherman’s March, which explores philosopher David Lewis’s concept of “modal realism,” or the idea that all possible worlds are just as real as our own. Other major sources of inspiration for the Daniels include the colorful and atmospheric films of Hong Kong film-maker Wong Kar-wai and 1970 children’s book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, which inspired scenes in which Evelyn and Jobu exist as two rocks in a universe where biological life never arose on Earth.  

Many important aspects of the film changed throughout the decade that the Daniels worked on the script. Originally, the central character was conceived as a university professor with undiagnosed ADHD. Additionally, they wrote the script with martial arts icon Jackie Chan in mind, though they later decided to reimagine the protagonist as a woman and immediately envisioned Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, who performed her own stunts in several Hong Kong martial arts films in the 1980s, in the role. In fact, early drafts even of the movie name Evelyn’s character “Michelle,” though Yeoh later pushed them to change the name. Stephanie Hsu joined the film after actress and comedian Awkwafina, who was initially cast in the role of Joy, left the film due to scheduling conflicts. Ke Huy Quan’s involvement in the film was, in some ways, serendipitous. After retiring from acting in 2002, Quan was inspired to return to acting by the success of the movie Crazy Rich Asians, and the Daniels thought of him after seeing a meme image depicting Short Round, a character in the 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom played by Quan. The Daniels later noted that they had to fight to retain their primarily Asian cast in the face of studio doubts that the movie would be commercially viable.  

Filming began in California in January 2020 and was wrapped up in early March, during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic that shut down production on many other shows and films.  Financed and distributed by A24 productions, Everything Everywhere All at Once premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 11, 2022, with a limited release to only ten cinemas later that month.  Rather than sending the film to streaming platforms, A24 expanded its theatrical run to over 3,000 cinemas. The film, made with a relatively small $14.3 million budget, made over $100 million worldwide and became A24’s highest-grossing film.  

Critics lauded the movie, highlighting its blending of genres and Michelle Yeoh’s commanding performance as the protagonist. In particular, the film was noted as a positive example of Asian representation in Hollywood and a counter to the assumptions that an Asian-led or independent film could not dominate the box office, and its success was especially impressive considering the general slump in ticket sales that marked the years following the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The film racked up an impressive list of accolades, receiving eleven nominations at the 95th Academy Awards and winning seven, including Best Supporting Actor for Quan, Best Supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, and Best Picture. Notably, it was the third film in the history of the Academy Awards to win three acting Oscars, after the 1951 A Streetcar Named Desire and the 1976 Network, and of those films, it was the only one to also win Best Picture.  

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