The Facets of Tribalism: A Conversation with ‘Opus’ Writer-Director Mark Anthony Green

A young writer (Ayo Edebiri) is invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star (John Malkovich) who mysteriously disappeared thirty years ago. Surrounded by the star's cult of sycophants and intoxicated journalists, she finds herself in the middle of his twisted plan.     

There are so many ways to tackle head on “write what you know”. But the superpower is how to “write what you know” and turn it on its head, give it a unique voice (that only you can give it), develop a world that is both outlandish yet relatable, and make it entertaining. And that’s exactly what writer-director Mark Anthony Green delivers in his feature debut, Opus. Seemingly pulling from his years as a music journalist, and utilizing one of his many gifts, one of those being an astute observer – he has created a cast of characters and world that isn’t too far out of reach.

Mark Anthony Green recently discussed with Script his approach to filmmaking, focusing on thematic anchors, like tribalism and character development, particularly Ariel’s character. As well as his overall mission to engage with audiences, his dream collaboration with music artists Nile Rodgers and The-Dream and praises his crew for giving it their all to support his vision.

This interview has been edited for content and clarity.

Sadie Dean: How did you settle on this story idea? Obviously, you’re pulling from your own background as a music journalist – but now as a filmmaker you’re putting your own lens on it.

Mark Anthony Green: It took me six years to make Opus. And I feel like, and you know this, as a journalist and a writer and filmmaker - when you go to make the thing, there's really nothing like it. I didn't have some experience where I was like, ‘I'm with, insert celebrity name and whoa, what if they murdered me, this would make a great movie.’ [laughs] I didn't realize that so many people wanted that. And there's names that people keep saying, but that's just not true. I've definitely witnessed power dynamics, as I'm sure you have, and you as a woman have an even more unique perspective on power dynamics.

But I think for me, my approach to filmmaking is there's kind of two buckets. There's a bucket of things that I really want to say about the world and observations that I'm made about the world. And then there's a bucket of visual worlds that I want to explore. And if one from one bucket kind of speaks to one from another, then maybe there's a movie. And then you sit, and you do the hard thing – writing - and it turns out there is a film - and Opus is born.

Sadie: The character Ariel is definitely an observer, and we're seeing this world through her perspective as well. And not wanting to give away spoilers but that ending – the idea of you thinking you’re taking the moral high ground and then that sudden shift. Was a thematic anchor for you when it came to carrying these characters?

Mark Anthony: I always wanted her to have agency. I always wanted Ariel to be a smart Black woman that was ambitious and young, so she's figuring it out. It's less of a thematic anchor and more of like an engine, like a story anchor. But I always kind of double checked what was happening - is this something an intelligent person would do?

And I think thematically, really Opus is a film about tribalism. And hopefully people ask questions about that - does this thing still serve us? And I wanted to really explore that in different ways, and fresh ways, but also use certain tropes of people and figures intentionally to kind of flesh out a lot of the facets of tribalism. And that just felt like a fun thing to interrogate.

And the top intention that I have with Opus is that people go and have fun. I think it's really, really difficult to get someone to engage with an idea, to have a difficult conversation, to talk to somebody that they dislike or they dislike them because of this idea, if you don't have fun together. It's like my favorite thing about stand-up comics is I think they can be so provocative because they make us laugh. And I really, really wanted to take people on a ride. So hopefully, at the end, we start to ask those questions and have that conversation.

Sadie: There’s a great dynamic of characters in this film, and you do hit those tropes, but purposefully. And obviously, Moretti, I feel like he's an amalgamation of just so many characters in the world. Creating that kind of fantastical character and giving him his own moral compass as well. What was that like in making sure you’re not going too over the top with him, and also not holding back too much?

Mark Anthony: For Moretti I just really wanted him to seem both possible, like if aliens came down and they were like, ‘Hey, we heard about this guy Prince. Explain him to me.’ Prince existed. He was real, but he was so larger than life, so magnetic, so singular, that he's real, but like the most unbelievable person on the planet. And that kind of felt like the assignment with Moretti, and I knew that with someone as talented as John - I couldn't have asked for a better partner in figuring this out than John Malkovich - and he's so great, he's so fearless, he's so interesting and handsome and nasty and cool. The second I knew that he was the person I was going on this journey with, I just felt like we could make somebody that felt larger than life, but also grounded and real.

And the ambition of really nailing that character, the pressure of that I think we all felt like, ‘OK, now we really, really have to go for it.’ And that's where the songs come in play and having them be real songs that are actually good and could be on the radio with real producers, not only real producers, but two of, you could make a very good argument that Nile Rodgers and The-Dream, are two of the most successful music producers in the history of human time. It just felt like the challenge of a lifetime, and I'm so stoked on it. But to create that character, his place and culture, how excited we are for him, the rumors, the bullshit, all of that, I just had a ball doing that.

Sadie: And that perfectly segues the next question, working with the Nile Rodgers to compose this music, what were those creative conversations – especially in setting that tone and that framework of not only the character, but the world?

Mark Anthony: Niles lived a life. He's one of those people, and you're a musician, so you get it right where, like musicians bring - all artists do - but musicians bring so much of trauma, crushes, curiosities, all of this to the music. And so, I think the more interesting your life, the better the musician. And no one has lived a more interesting life than Nile Rodgers. Every day I would talk to him, he would say something insane to me, a lot of things I cannot repeat.

He really took me under his wing, like a little brother. He did the score for Coming to America and all these great films. He was really, really, really great. And those guys, him and The-Dream, they let me challenge them to be demanding, to be specific, even though I had no money to pay them. And they did it as purely an artistic endeavor, and because they trusted me and they trusted the film.

I've had so many friends that ask me, ‘How are you feeling?’ This thing's about to come out. I'm getting to meet new people like you and have these public conversations and, and they're like, ‘How are you feeling?’ And I think I feel so overwhelmingly good. And good is such a nonspecific word, but what I love about it is that it's all encompassing. 

I feel overwhelmingly good because of people like Nile, who both trusted me, delivered, gave me parts of their genius and their brilliance and their legacy, and we went off and we made this thing that I'm immensely proud of. And I can't, for the life of me, think of something, for better and for worse, much to the chagrin of my mom, who wants a grandchild, but I can't think of anything that would make me feel better than that. I love Nile Rodgers - forever I will love Nile Rodgers. And I listen to the songs we made every day. They make me happy every day.

Sadie Dean: I can't leave your other incredible team out, but your DP to your production designer to costume, those creative conversations to paint this fantastical picture, and finding a way to keeping it grounded in the way that you guys masterfully do.

Mark Anthony: Thank you! I had the best crew. Tommy Maddox-Upshaw, my DP, he and I met every week for six months because of the strike - but we met every week to the point where, when we got on set, we had talked through so much that people would often ask us how many times we have worked together because we had such a shorthand.

Robert Pyzocha, my production designer, an absolute madman, just a lunatic in the absolute best way possible. I will never forget one of the best days of Opus. I flew to New York, and I still had my day job at the time, and I was having a really tough time. And Robert showed up with the sketches for the rat puppets, and he doesn't know this, but I almost teared up because I just thought they were so cool and so weird, and I knew he was the guy, and it's exactly what I wanted and he was just pushing it - Robert pushes it. He's gonna go so far, and then you're like, ‘Take one of those away, and it's perfect.’ And it doesn't matter how much money you hand him, it doesn't matter how much time you give him, he's gonna push it, and he's gonna do it and be a lovely human on top of that. And that shit is overwhelming and beautiful.

And Shirley Kurata, my costume director. I'm not an easy person to be a costume designer and wardrobe director with, because I know way too much about clothes. I come from the fashion world. So I'm like, 'No, that's the wrong season of Rick Owens. We need it from this.' She is so talented, her and her team, they met my crazy head on. And I love where we netted out.

We shot this film in 19 days. We shot it with very, very limited resources compared to the budget and talent and ambition of the film. There's no interview long enough. There's no magazine with enough pages that could accurately describe and encapsulate the effort and brilliance that those people brought to this film. And so again, when I say I'm overwhelmingly good, I will just be eating a sandwich, and think about Robert and my heart is very, very full. 

Opus is now exclusively in Theaters.