'Malcolm & Marie': Inside Zendaya and John David Washington's Mad Love Story (Exclusive)

Christian Bale and John David Washington hold onto Margot Robbie while filming a sequence of scenes for the David O. Russell movie in Los Angeles on Monday (February 8).

At a time in which film and television production was on lockdown due to the emerging Coronavirus pandemic, Malcolm & Marie was the rare project heading into production. The $2.5 million indie about a late-night debate between a young couple got made because writer/director Sam Levinson answered Zendaya’s call to write a contained drama that might keep them and their Euphoria crew employed after the HBO drama was shuttered days before shooting a new season.

John David Washington, 36, stars in the new Netflix film Malcolm & Marie with Zendaya, 24. The movie, which is being released on Feb. 5, follows a filmmaker and his girlfriend as they confront long-simmering issues between them. Malcolm & Marie was filmed in secret during quarantine using COVID-19 safety precautions.

Zendaya hopes her new film, "Malcolm & Marie," inspires people to be grateful for their loved ones and to those who lend support during a time of need.  The Emmy-winner co-stars with John David Washington as a couple who clash over the state of their relationship.

It was a big night for excellence in Black filmmaking.

“Chadwick Bosman was an amazing artist. We’ve all been thrilled, and excited, and overwhelmed by the depth of his work,” said Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom director George C. Wolfe who presented the late actor Chadwick Bosman with Performance of the Year Award at Critics’ Choice Association’s virtual annual celebration Of Black cinema. “He was so present, not just as an actor but he was present as a human being.”

Zendaya and John David Washington team up in Netflix’s “Malcolm & Marie” — a pandemic-shot drama that explores the relationship between a director and his model girlfriend.

After receiving backlash on her age gap with her Marie & Malcolm co-star John David Washington, Zendaya is addressing the issue. For the versed, while promoting the film, the 24-year-old Emmy winner had been the talk of the town because of the vast 12-year age gap between Zendaya and John David Washington, 36.  Now, in an interview with E! News Zendaya addressed the age gap between her and her talented co-star.

There’s always backlash — and Zendaya is not here for it. In her new movie, Malcolm & Marie, the Euphoria actress, 24, plays John David Washington‘s love interest. However, the age gap — he is 12 years older than her at 36 — has caused some fans to criticize the casting.

Euphoria still lingering and a record-breaking Best Actress Emmy award to top it off, Zendaya's upcoming project looks to be one of her bravest and most exciting to date. Malcolm & Marie stars John David Washington as Malcolm and Zendaya Coleman as Marie.

Zendaya is addressing some backlash regarding her new movie.

Jared Leto and John David Washington discuss their successful careers in the latest Variety Actors on Actors interview.

John David Washington discusses being reluctant to follow in his father Denzel’s footsteps, his role in “Malcolm & Marie” and more in a new interview with WSJ. Magazine.

The Netflix drama Malcolm & Marie, from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, was one of the first — if not the first — movie that was shot during the coronavirus pandemic. The idea for the movie surfaced after Euphoria shut down production, and Levinson had a conversation with his Emmy-winning star Zendaya about the possibility of making a film during a time when Hollywood was pretty much on hiatus, and Levinson felt a responsibility to get his crew back to work.

“No one fucking cares about that sh*t, Malcolm!” shouts an exasperated Marie (Zendaya). Malcolm (John David Washington) worships the classic filmmakers—a love externalized by way of the vintage title credits that open the film—espousing the genius of William Wyler and the brilliance of “The Best Years of Our Lives” and “Citizen Kane.” Within the confines of this luxe modernist home, nestled in the Hollywood hills, the ensuing quarrel between the couple is unlike any other.

Watch Video: 'Malcolm & Marie' Trailer: Zendaya and John David Washington Have Steamy, Love-Hate RelationshipMarie’s opening salvo is that Malcolm forgot to thank her during his lengthy curtain speech, but that minor betrayal exposes a myriad of fault lines in their relationship, from his ego to her low self-esteem, not to mention the fact that she feels that Malcolm has raided her own past issues with drug addiction and rehab to create the female lead of his film, who’s having issues with drug

In a relatively short time, John David Washington went from the newcomer starring in “BlacKkKlansman” to one of the biggest actors on the planet thanks to films like “Tenet” and the forthcoming “Malcolm & Marie,” which might land him an Oscar-nomination. So, you would have to imagine that the film world is opening up to Washington in a big, big way, and the actor knows the filmmakers he would love to collaborate with next.