Everything Everywhere All at Once’s Oscar-winning directors respond to criticism for taking Star Wars job

‘We needed the [work] to keep our healthcare,’ Daniel Kwan told fans

The Daniels – the Oscar-winning directing duo behind Everything Everywhere All at Once– have clapped back at detractors who accused them of “selling out” after signing on to direct a new Star Wars series.

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for their A24 movie starring Michelle Yeoh at this year’s Academy Awards.

A week later, it has been announced that the pair were involved in Disney+’s The Skeleton Crew, which stars Jude Law and follows a group of lost kids making their way across a galaxy far, far away.

On Instagram Tuesday (21 March), Kwan clarified that he and Scheinert only directed one episode of the series.

“Lol, all of the people @ing us about getting sucked up by the ‘corporate machine’ can chill. These headlines are always misleading,” Kwan wrote in his Instagram Stories.

“Don’t worry. We aren’t working on a whole series, we guest directed one episode. Jon Watts approached us to do an episode a while ago (before EEAAO even came out). We love Jon, love Star Wars, love learning new tech, we love meeting new cast and crew, and we needed the days to keep our healthcare (!!!) so it was an easy yes.”

He added: “I’m excited for you all to see it. Our next film will be an original Daniels project so you can stop worrying (and stop bothering me about it).”

Daniel Kwan, left, and Daniel Scheinert at the Oscars (Invision)

Everything Everywhere All at Once also swept the acting categories; Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor, Jamie Lee Curtis won Best Supporting Actress and Yeoh won Best Actress.

During his acceptance speech for Best Director, Scheinert rebuked the growing anti-drag legislation in the US.

“Thank you [to my mum and dad] for not squashing my creativity when I was making disturbing horror films or perverted comedy films, or dressing in drag as a kid, which is a threat to nobody,” he said.

You can find a full list of all the 2023 Oscars winners here.