Marcellus: movie edition

All things Remarkably Bright Creatures film (and other life updates)

It’s happening! Remarkably Bright Creatures comes to Netflix on May 8. Perhaps you spotted the first look announcement in People or heard about it from Netflix, or maybe I’m telling you now, but either way: it. is. SO. COOL. Marcellus on your TV! What a wild ride.

I could attempt to write something deep and reflective about my experience as an author working with Hollywood, or about the incredible week I spent on set last year, but I suspect most of you just want the deets, so let’s do this Q&A style.

Where and when can I watch?

Stream it on Netflix starting on 5/8. Right in time for Mother’s Day, in case you need a post-brunch activity. Or invite your book club over for a viewing party. Serve crab cakes; Marcellus would approve.

Who’s in it?

Sally Field. She’s the perfect Tova! Also: Lewis Pullman (Thunderbolts; Top Gun: Maverick; Lessons in Chemistry), Colm Meany (Star Trek DS9), Sofia Black D’Elia (Single Drunk Female), Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant and others.

What about Marcellus? Will he be played by a real octopus?

One of my favorite moments on set was when Alyssa Rodrigues (fellow producer) described, with humor, the entire day she’d spent on the phone with aquariums and sea life centers across the continent, inquiring about octopuses who might be willing actors in a feature film. Zero takers, of course. An octopus is not going to respond to directorial feedback.

So yes, by necessity, Marcellus will come to life largely thorough digital magic. One of my other favorite moments on set was when I was hanging out with a one of the effects guys and he spoke, with a sense of awe, about the expanse of hours he’d spent at the Vancouver Aquarium observing Agatha, the resident giant Pacific octopus. Learning her movements, absorbing her vibe. I never thought I could spend so many hours watching an octopus, he said. I related hard, having done the same when I was in my early drafting stage.

And who’s doing Marcellus’s voice?

Alfred Molina! Yep, Doc Ock from the Spider-Man films. He is perfect!

Did you write the script?

No. I wouldn’t even know where to start.

But did you have input on it?

Yes! I read and gave input on multiple versions. Here’s something fascinating that I learned in the process. Feature-length film scripts are typically a hundred pages, double spaced. Reading a draft script takes me about an hour. Compare that to reading a 300-page novel, which takes me…well, a while, because I’m a slow reader. But even a fast reader would need several hours. The discrepancy throws into focus the challenge of bringing the full narrative of a novel into a more compressed format.

Have you watched it?

Yes! I loved it. I cried.

Is the plot faithful to the book?

This is probably the most-asked question I get (aside from “have you met Sally Field” which we will address below). Overall, I would say yes. But is it page-for-page? No. There are many book scenes which are not in the film.

Conversely, there are a few scenes in the film which are not in the book. I got to be on set for the filming of a couple of them. My reaction? Man, I should have thought of this. Because they are great scenes.

To the extent that the plot deviates, I am not bothered by it, and I hope you won’t be either. To me, it’s far more important that the film gets the characters right. And it gets them so right.

Do you have a cameo?

I do.

When is it?

Spot it yourself!

Come on. Don’t make me play Where’s Waldo based on your headshot.

Fair. I’ll say this much: I’ve never had so much fun spending six hours sipping on a fake cocktail. And I would listen to Lewis Pullman sing and play guitar all day. Fun fact: Lewis Pullman is the drummer in an indie rock band and told me he wasn’t great at singing or guitar but in my humble opinion, he killed it.

So, you met Lewis Pullman on set. Did you get to meet Sally Field?

I did! Here’s proof! I was fangirling so hard.

Sally Field is iconic. We were chatting, and I described telling auditoriums full of book fans about her casting and getting a wave of awestruck gasps in response. Her reaction? A deadpan “oh great, no pressure” with a twinkle in her eye.

Legendary.

Also, there’s this. The character of Tova in the book was loosely based on my late grandmother, who was a petite yet headstrong woman. The casting could not be spotter-on.

Did you meet anyone else on set?

One afternoon I hung out with Colm Meany in the craft tent. He told me that he’d read the book in preparation for his Ethan role, and his favorite scene was when Ethan described playing a prank on his work mates that involved percolating elephant dung into fake coffee.

(The workplace in question was a zoo. And this quip did not make it into the film, but I love Colm’s appreciation of it!)

Here’s Lewis and me and Colm. My new besties, obviously.

What is a craft tent?

During filming, my husband and kids flew out to Vancouver and spent a couple of days on set with me, which, for my kids, was obviously superior to attending school, and was an incredible opportunity to see behind the scenes of moviemaking.

But on the downside, it was raining. Pouring, often. Muddy underfoot. And, as I learned, there is a lot of waiting around in filmmaking.

Enter the craft tent—or, more colloquially, crafty. (I’m not sure why I took this photo. I honestly think my son might have taken it. The finger on the side is sus, and he was obsessed with crafty.)

As my kids learned, you can tolerate a lot of boredom and physical discomfort if you’ve got unfettered access to donuts and snacks. Your feet are cold? Walk up to crafty. Ansty in the producer’s tent? Go see what the food truck is serving. Bored? Go fetch coffee for a deserving adult. (That one didn’t go over well.)

Can I watch the RBC movie with my kids?

It’s PG-13. There are themes of loss and grief, of course, along with addiction and bigotry, and the fallout of those. There’s a bit of swearing.

My kids (12 and 10) have both read the book and have seen multiple film cuts. For our family, uncomfortable moments were minimal.

I can’t tell you what to do with your own kids. But would I expect a toddler to enjoy it? No. Just because there’s an octopus doesn’t mean that it’s a movie that will hold a young child’s attention.

When can we see the trailer?

Here’s a teaser trailer!

And when the full trailer is available, I’ll share on my Instagram!

Will there be a special book cover for the movie?

Yes! It will be available on April 21. Ask your local independent bookstore to order you a copy, or preorder directly here. The cover is gorgeous.

I know I sound like a broken record, but Sally Field is truly the perfect Tova.

Moving on from the RBC movie, let’s keep going with the Q&A format.

Alright.

Why haven’t you posted to this Substack in a year-plus?

Rude.

How many grams of protein have you consumed today?

I don’t know. I’m trying to eat more, like every good middle-aged lady is apparently supposed to.

What about fiber?

JFC. I’ll have a salad at dinner, ok?

When is your next book coming out?

I don’t know because I’m still finishing it. But I am loving what I have written so far, and I’ll share more about it soon.

Is it a sequel to Remarkably Bright Creatures?

It is not. Nor is it a prequel. It’s a totally different story, but I think some of the themes/vibes are similar.

I’m an author and I got an DM/message/email from you praising my book/manuscript. Not real, right?

Not real. Thanks, AI (sarcastic) for this grift which I hate so much. It’s everywhere right now. The NYT even did a piece about it. (gift link)

Oddly enough, I have made real connections with a few other authors as we’ve attempted to untangle these schemes. But still, if someone impersonating me has popped up in your inbox, please know that I hate that for you, and if it makes you feel better, I’ve been on the receiving end of these, too. Even though I know it’s 100% a scam, it still plays with my emotions when a well-known author or bigwig editor “reaches out” with praise. Ugh.

What books are you reading and loving right now?

I finished Heart the Lover by Lily King a couple of weeks ago and adored it. Right now, my book club is reading The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali and I am loving that, too! I may or may not have lobbied to make it our pick because I recently had an event with Marjan, who is a lovely person. Aren’t we cute?

I’m not sure what’s next; as usual, my TBR is overflowing. So many amazing books have come out lately.

Your last Substack, in February 2025 (ahem), featured a poop-emoji cake. What kind of cake did your kids have for their birthdays this year?

My son turned 10 in January and requested that his cake bear the likeness of Twisted Dyle, which is a character from a Roblox game. I believe he is supposed to be a humanoid pocket watch who has turned evil. This was harder than the poop cake of yore, but I had fun with it!

My daughter turned 12 in February and wanted a round ice-cream cake with “rainbow tye-dye swirls” on top, so we had adventures in royal icing instead of fondant. This was fun to make, too! The challenge, aside from the wet-on-wet generally, was working quickly so the ice cream layer inside wouldn’t collapse.

And now we have survived the birthday season.

When will we hear from you next?

I’ll promise, I’ll try not to let a year pass between newsletters next time. There’s more movie excitement to come (a premiere? OMG what should I wear?) so make sure you’re subscribed if you don’t want to miss out.

If you want to see me this spring, check out my upcoming events. Recently added: a turn on the brand-new Spotify stage at the LA Times Festival of Books!

Until then,