With its theatrical run wrapping up and the film now out on Blu-ray, one can now openly discuss the finale of Denis Villeneuve‘s sci-fi feature Arrival — most notably its crew. While the director himself is currently wrapped up in post-production on Blade Runner 2049, the film’s writer and editor have opened about about their process moreso than during the initial release. First up, Eric Heisserer, who adapted Ted Chiang’s Story of Your Life, has discussed a change in the ending caused by Christopher Nolan’s latest film, with Collider:
I would say the only real significant change is the gift that the heptapods leave us with. In earlier versions they were leaving sort of the blueprints to an interstellar ship, like an ark of sorts. And then Chris Nolan’s Interstellar came out and all of us got together and said, ‘Well this doesn’t quite work now’ (laughs). So we focused more on what we had there in front of us, which was the power of their language.
[It] was always that in three millennia we would end up being in a place to help them, and in order to have that happen we needed to start colonizing. We needed to start getting off Earth.
It certainly sounds like the current ending is a better fit as it relates better with emotional backbone of the film, as well as offering a more enigmatic post-screening discussion. Heisserer wasn’t the only member of the crew to discuss the development of the film, as editor Joe Walker (who also did Sicario and all of Steven McQueen’s films) sat down for a one-hour talk to break down the process. In the conversation, he discusses the many test screenings they did for the film, including the changes they made, from less of the General Shang section to more obvious story beats about the flashforwards (adding the line “Louise sees her future”) to a funny easter egg featuring Roger Deakins’ house.
Check out the talk below, along with a new 360-degree experience and video essay, as well as a pair of Mondo posters for the film by Kevin Tong.
Arrival is now available on Blu-ray.