Interview: Writer/Director Mel Eslyn on ‘Biosphere’, Magic, and Summer Movies
In Maker’s Dozen, we ask folks in and around the film industry 12 questions and have them ask one of us.
Mel Eslyn is a producer, writer, and director whose credits include Your Sister’s Sister, Touchy Feely, The One I Love, and Lamb. She is president of Duplass Brothers Productions and the co-writer and director of the new film Biosphere, starring Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass—in theaters July 7.
We spoke with Mel about Biosphere, summer movies, Wisconsin being underrated, Barbie vs. Oppenheimer, and more!
This interview has been condensed and edited.
1. What is the Mel Eslyn origin story?
I always wanted to make movies from a very young age. When I was 15 I started lying and saying I was 18 to sneak onto sets, where I would P.A. and boom up and everything available. Then moved to Seattle at the sweet spot of this new group of filmmakers coming up and got in at just the right time. Then suddenly I was producing and got on a whole side track, including running Duplass Brothers Productions. I was like, “Wait guys, we gotta get back to what I really want to.” So that’s what Biosphere ended up being.
2. What was the “aha” moment that compelled you and Mark to write Biosphere?
Mark has been pitching me ideas for years. He kept saying, “What’s the one that you’re gonna do? He had thrown out a half-formed idea that ended up becoming Biosphere that really sparked my interest, and I could see a bunch of elements that I could add and themes that I don’t know if he even realized it was playing with. We started throwing all these ideas together and made a quick outline. He said he would take a pass at it and got 14 pages in, then sends me this email saying “I don’t think there’s a movie here.” And I was like, “Well, I think there is, so I’m gonna go write the first pass.” But then it was stalling and I got so busy, but then the pandemic hit and I lost a really good friend, Lynn Shelton the filmmaker. And I think when people pass you go introspective and think about time. She made her first film when she was 39 and I was coming up on 39. So I just had to sit down and do it, and here we are.
3. Who would you want to be stuck in a biosphere with?
Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass!
4. Describe Sterling K. Brown in three words.
Controlled. Kind. Loyal.
5. Describe Mark Duplass in three words.
Oh my God, I have so many words... Overfilled. Excited. Ambitious.
6. Throughout the film the characters debate a magic trick. What’s a real-life thing that to you feels like magic?
Everything is magic. The universe. I can’t even think about space because that’s bonkers. To me, anything that’s beautiful or that I can’t explain. I use the word magic pretty freely to describe the world and humans.
7. What’s your favorite summer movie?
The Sandlot. When I was a kid we’d all play baseball together and make up our own crude field. So every summer was: watch The Sandlot, play baseball.
8. What’s your favorite childhood summer memory?
I think it’s the baseball. No formed teams. Everybody would play every position. It was very confusing and it was just about the camaraderie and being able to do something together. It was also during the time when cell phones weren’t around and you’d go out for the day and come back by dinner. You were just free and out there.
9. Barbie or Oppenheimer?
I can’t do that! I refuse. They both are going to be so special in their own way. I’d maybe lean a little more towards Oppenheimer, but I feel so bad saying that.
10. Your home state of Wisconsin: overrated or underrated?
Underrated. I think there’s diversity in Wisconsin, many voices that do get a bit lost in the shuffle being in middle America. But there is a kindness there, and you can find your sweet spots. I wish that we could build those up to represent Wisconsin versus all the shitty things.
11. If you had to change careers tomorrow, what would you do and why?
I’d probably be a geologist because rocks are really cool.
12. What’s next on your watchlist?
All the TV shows that I’m so behind on. I still haven’t watched The Bear, so that’s next.
+1. What’s your question for us?
Why Cinema Sugar?
(Kevin:) I was making toast for my daughter one morning and she wanted cinnamon sugar on it, and the words just stuck in my brain. I saw a whole kind of vision board for the things we could do with that.