Marvel’s Jessica Jones hires all women directors for series two
Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg is making a change
The second series of Marvel Netflix series Jessica Jones will only be directed by women, showrunner Melissa Rosenberg has announced.
The first run of the comic book-based series (starring Krysten Ritter) was praised by critics for its complex female protagonist, depiction of female friendships and nuanced discussion of abuse and sexual assault, much of which was attributed to the influence of Rosenberg and other women working behind the camera.
However, only about a third of the show’s directors were actually women in the first series, which while twice the average for other TV shows wasn’t enough for Rosenberg, who decided it was time to redress the balance a little.
Revealing the all-female directing roster at a panel at the Transforming Hollywood 7: Diversifying Entertainment conference, Rosenberg told the crowd that hiring a more inclusive team behind the camera was “a conscious decision,” adding that “it’s very important that showrunners do that.” (via Variety).
And when it comes to writers, Rosenberg said she was also looking for different sorts of people.
“When I interview a writer, I’m less interested in what you’ve been doing professionally than I am in where you’re from, what your parents do, what’s your life experience, what are you bringing to the table personally?” she said.
“I don’t want a bunch of people who look and sound [like me] and have the experiences I have.”
Sounds like Jessica Jones is going to be something quite special all over again.
Marvel’s Jessica Jones will return to Netflix in 2018
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
