Indie Multiverse: Siblings' 10-Year Revenge Epic Without a Marvel Budget

Occasionally, all you need to do is set a man ablaze.

The opening scene of "Redux Redux," now showing in theaters through Saban Films, shows Irene (Michaela McManus), a traveler between different universes, setting a man bound to a chair on fire and observing his death. It soon becomes clear that the man is a murderer who killed Irene's daughter, and she has spent her life moving through various realities to seek repeated vengeance.

The unforgettable fiery image became part of the film's original poster, but it originated from a low-budget independent style by the writing and directing team of Kevin and Matthew McManus.

We understood we had to capture the audience's attention," Matthew McManus states. "At times, it seems like a rivalry between the big screen and the small screen in your hand. We needed something that would make people set aside their phones and pay attention. This wasn't part of the original script, but it came up during our discussions. You're always thinking about what will have the greatest effect, while working with a limited budget. When you start talking about this with your stunt team, you realize it's actually not very costly if you do it once and get it right. That became our plan.

A crucial element of the plan involved the pair approaching their sister, who has appeared in recurring roles on shows such as "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "SEAL Team," and "Memory of a Killer," to take part. Considering the deep emotional weight of the script and the character, they were assured she could successfully lead the film.

Employing your sister, who is our favorite actress, you can request her to perform various tasks that you wouldn't typically ask a regular actor to do," says Kevin McManus. "The stunt professionals were going through everything, saying, 'Oh, this is a stunt and this will be costly.' 'Well, Michaela will be doing her own stunts.' She responded, 'Oh, I will. Alright.' She jumped right in and got involved quite quickly.

When the pair began developing the film a decade ago, their sister was too young to portray their main character. However, due to the lengthy process of obtaining financing, when it was finally time to produce the movie, Michaela McManus was an ideal choice and accepted the offer.

I've been in the industry for 20 years, and Hollywood tends to put you in a specific category, which is where they believe you belong," she states. "What I appreciate about collaborating with my brothers is that this limitation disappears. I've known them for a long time, so they've witnessed me in various roles, and they've helped me with countless auditions, which means they understand me as an actor better than anyone else. They have always supported me by never seeing me confined to that box. It's really refreshing. The character of Irene isn't one that anyone would typically cast me in. Even securing an audition might have been challenging for my manager to arrange, just to get me a chance. So, it was very significant for me to showcase this different aspect of myself.

With the emotional heart of the movie established, the directors needed to imagine how to build a functional multiverse without the substantial funding of the MCU. They employed smart visual hints to inform the viewers about the different realms.

Every film we've created up to now, we didn't place a lot of emphasis on continuity," says Kevin McManus. "If you're focusing on the continuity, then we have a bigger issue, right? People aren't paying attention to the narrative. For this one, the fun comes from the continuity. You'll notice that the mugs change colors, or that a sign shifts just a little bit. We were aiming to discover these small, subtle changes as little hidden gems showing how the multiverse has evolved. Our multiverse isn't a large Marvel-style multiverse where things drastically differ between one universe and another. Instead, it's very minor.

This unique fabric enabled Michaela McManus to deeply delve into the intensity of her character's anger.

Working with this powerful content was likely the most draining task I've ever undertaken," she states. "I was immersing myself in it and striving to stay fully focused each day. My brothers being there provided a sense of security and trust that let me explore those areas, and I felt protected. However, it was extremely challenging. When we finished, I said, 'Okay, I need a break, because dealing with Irene's reality every day was exhausting.'

Although the film has a sci-fi, action, and horror exterior, the directing team reveals a reflective perspective at its heart.

The narrative explores the dangers of seeking revenge, yet it also serves as a warning about attempting to alter your past and improve your situation," Kevin McManus states. "There's a well-known saying that, 'No man can step into the same river twice.' It's a different river and a different person. That's the central idea that I hope you reflect on after watching it.

View the "Redux Redux" trailer below.

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More from

• SXSW Pairs 'Redux Redux' and 'The Surrender' Secure Global Distribution with Blue Finch Films (EXCLUSIVE)
• Saban Films Acquires North American Distribution Rights to 'Redux Redux' by the McManus Brothers (EXCLUSIVE)

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