Jewel Taylor is a first-time feature film director, but she’s not new to Hollywood. Taylor helped write the sequels Creed II (2018) and Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), along with writing partner and former classmate of the University of Southern California Graduate Film School Tony Rettenmeyer, establishing his credentials as an engineer in mainstream popcorn entertainment.
His first behind-the-camera work, the comedy sci-fi conspiracy thriller They Cloned Tyrone, is lesser known, but in some ways even more ambitious. Starring John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris and streaming on Netflix, this original story, written by Taylor and Rettenmeier, squeezes head-twisting questions about systemic racism, individual autonomy and the search for meaning into a pulpy package.
In this film, clone or not, hardworking small-time drug dealer Fontaine (Boyega) teams up with his least favorite customers Slick Charles (Fox) and Yo-Yo (Paris) to unravel a sinister conspiracy that turns everything he believes about himself and the world upside down.
In two video interviews, the 36-year-old Taylor, who grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama, discusses the story’s surprising personal origins, flirting with and opposing racial stereotypes, and why she owes her career to Gnarls Berkley’s song “Crazy.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
Where did “Tyron” start for you?
Everything happened in the form of a strange little explosion. In 2017, Tony and I were working with Macro [the company that produced “Tyrone”] In an episode of their show “Raging Dion”. And in 2018 we were hired to produce Creed II, pitching and pitching this film during its production.
What was the original idea for this story?
It was several things. I wanted to do a bootleg Scooby-Doo mystery with a poor detective but somehow unique equipment. Then there was the joke I exchanged with Tony. Pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers entered the bar. What if we made them heroes?
But the real story didn’t begin until I understood Fontaine’s character. In 2016, I reunited with a friend from college. When we were 18 or 19, he was arrested for something that changed the course of his life. I was always a bit critical of him because I thought he had so much potential, but in this conversation he revealed that he was battling depression. At the time he didn’t know how to tell anyone. It completely changed my perspective. I got to thinking a lot about blame and responsibility, and that was when all the elements of this film came together. A man has an identity crisis and must overcome a situation beyond his control.
Are you a genre thinker in general?
Sometimes I think in terms of genre, but atmosphere and tone are usually the first things that come to mind. A lot of the time it’s a song or a score and I try to recreate what it feels like. The movie had a lot of Southern rap, from his 80s R&B and funk with Bootsy Collins, Mary Jane Girls, Patrice Rushen and Alicia Myers, and from Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat to his UGK and Big KRIT.
What about movie influences?
Definitely “The Truman Show” and “They Live”. This movie is basically what if The Truman Show and They Live had kids. There is also a bit of “Matrix” in it. A little “Manchurian Candidate”. A little “Anaconda”. Musically, I was very inspired by Jackie Brown, Boogie Nights, and The Big Lebowski. And for worldbuilding, we looked at “Napoleon Dynamite” and “It Follows.”
Have you always wanted to make movies?
Originally, I wanted to do video game design. I went to college at the University of Florida and did a program called Digital Arts and Science. However, I soon realized that I was not a good art student. One of the projects I did that was successful and actually fun was a music video inspired by a Gnarls Berkley song.crazy” From there, I somehow started to want to make a movie.
The film takes place in a slightly time-traveled, fictional southern region called The Glen. How similar is it to where you grew up?
very. Many places in the South lack the resources and infrastructure they need, and while people may be making the most of it, there’s still a patina that makes it all feel like it’s from his ’80s. That was always at the forefront of our minds when designing The Glen.
What made you want to incorporate the stereotypes of black culture into your conspiracy theory? It references everything from fried chicken to grape drinks to perm cream.
I made it by counting backwards from the character Fontaine. It is not his own fault that he is in this situation. who put him there? And what else are they going to do? I thought about all these conspiracies I heard as a kid, enjoyed it, and tried to be a little reckless. It was a matter of walking a tightrope between these absurd plot points and sort of darker, heavier undertones. We are thinking about how we see ourselves and how others see us. But at the end of the day, I’m trying to make it fun.
Have you ever worried about being perceived as promoting negative images of black people, or, conversely, making judgments about the culture you portray?
In other words, it is inevitable. Some of this content is offensive to me, and I know it will be offensive to others. At a preview, I was told, “I know it’s a satire, but I don’t want to see it.” And I think it’s totally fair. But if you intend to explore these subjects, you have to accept them. The moment you see someone eating fried chicken on your screen, you’re kind of in a danger zone. I know people who say, “I don’t eat chicken in front of white people.”
But I don’t know how to explore this without showing the image on the screen. I hope this is a story and a character that people want to relate to. And in doing so, some of these stereotypes may be dismantled and you may find that things are more than they seem. But if that’s not your experience, who can I tell you are wrong? I don’t want people to think there is only one way to interpret this movie.
