Netflix held the premiere of May December at The Academy Museum in Los Angeles last week, with director Todd Haynes and writer Samy Burch joined for the first time by the film’s stars Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton as well as other members of the cast and crew. Producers Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, and Sophie Mas were also in attendance.
On the red carpet, Portman expressed great admiration for Moore as well Melton.
“Julianne is an actress I’ve admired my entire career and I was so dying to work with her. It was just crazy to get to be opposite in this and get to watch her up close and then also experience what an amazing human she is, in addition to being a brilliant actress,” Portman said. “Charles was just such a revelation, I was just so in awe of what he was able to do and create this very difficult character that’s so different from who he is as a person and with such nuance and grace.”
Moore shared the same sentiment, while highlighting the experience of working with director Todd Haynes.
“It’s a wonderful partnership, it’s a wonderful team. Everybody was just so extraordinarily talented and so committed to the project and it was very complicated, human, interesting, and compelling,” Moore said. “Todd is absolutely the best. I think we all felt so fortunate to be working with him.”
Haynes took the time to recognize the immense efforts cast and crew put into this production.
“Everybody had to rise to the occasion, join hands, jump off the cliff together, and really be on the same page,” Haynes said. “It inspired me to just open up the doors creatively and bring everybody into the process and it made for one of the most joyful production experiences I’ve ever had and we just didn’t want it to end.”
When it came to specific scenes to celebrate, Haynes called attention to the mirror scenes.
“These scenes in the mirrors were so remarkable to watch unfold in front of me with these actors,” Haynes said. “The one in the dress shop in particular is a very complicated shot that we prepared very very carefully for and then when it unfolded and how you see almost 360° of that location.”
Catch May December on Netflix on December 1, 2023 as well as select theaters now.
