Cate Blanchett says it took years to find financial backing for Carol

Speaking to an audience at the Toronto International Film Festival, Cate Blanchett reflected,“We do think about how much still has to change within the industry in terms of equity, inclusion and making films more sustainably. But, you know, we have made huge advances.” One example of the slow-moving change in Hollywood is Carol, which spent decades in development before finally hitting the big screen in 2015. Even at that point, it was a struggle to get the film—an eventual Oscar nominee—off the ground: “It was a risky endeavor at the time, unfortunately,” Blanchett said, per Variety. 

“At one point, another director was going to do it, and he got sort of taken off the project,” the actor recalled, noting she too stepped away from the project until director Todd Haynes came on board. “It was a five-year period, because no one wanted to fund it at that point,” Blanchett said. “No one wanted to see … who was going to watch a film with one woman, let alone two women, falling in love?”

That may have been the fear from Hollywood execs, but when Carol did finally make it to screen it was a critically acclaimed success. That allowed the actors and filmmaker to pursue further risky endeavors. Most recently, Haynes was attached to an NC-17 level gay romance that fell apart when star Joaquin Phoenix walked away; that situation is still awaiting resolution. For her part, Blanchett spoke of supporting Haynes through the most “difficult” aspects of the Carol shoot, remembering a time she suggested he walk away and clear his head while they were trying to figure out a lighting setup. 

“It was quite fluid, but there’s no conflict with him. He’s sort of conflict-averse. That doesn’t mean you necessarily have to agree,” she shared (via Entertainment Weekly). “There’s a sort of misconception somehow that making a film, when it’s great, is like summer camp. I’ve been on a couple of those, and the films have been fucking awful. Polite disagreement, respectful disagreement is super important in the creative process, and know you’ve got a healthy relationship with someone when you can really fight for things, but then allow your mind to be changed.”