{"id":1182808,"date":"2025-12-11T07:01:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T15:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/?p=1182808"},"modified":"2025-12-11T07:01:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T15:01:34","slug":"dust-bunny-bryan-fuller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/dust-bunny-bryan-fuller\/","title":{"rendered":"With Dust Bunny, Hannibal Showrunner Bryan Fuller Makes His Directorial Debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though he created and led the shows Pushing Daisies<\/em> and Hannibal<\/em>, Bryan Fuller never directed episodes. So he wanted his directorial feature debut, Dust Bunny<\/em>, to be about something deeply important to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And maybe important to the kids who will see it, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s that adage about 10,000 hours of experience,\u201d Fuller says, \u201cand I definitely had that under my belt as a showrunner. You\u2019re the director of directors. I am heavily involved in the design and style of a show. As someone who loves aesthetics and finds great emotion in them, that background gave me the ability to communicate all the things we were trying to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuller had a simple pitch for Dust Bunny<\/em>: \u201cA little girl hires a hitman to kill the monster under her bed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family horror film bursts with as much color as gunfire in a giddy genre mash-up of action and monsters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dust
Sophie Sloane and Mads Mikkelsen in <\/em>Dust Bunny. Roadside Attractions<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The bunny of the title is a beast under the bed of young Aurora (Sophie Sloan). When it eats her foster parents, she seeks protection from her neighbor, Resident 5B (Mads Mikkelsen). Along their fairy-tale journey, they face off against assassins, the Queen of Killers (played by Sigourney Weaver), and Dust Bunny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Aurora, emotions can be as scary as monsters and as thrilling as action. She fights through everything \u2014 much like Weaver\u2019s famous heroine in the Alien<\/em> films, Ripley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI talked with Sigourney about how characters like Ripley or Genevi\u00e8ve Bujold in Coma<\/em> were the women I grew up admiring as symbols of righteousness and goodness,\u201d Fuller says. \u201cAs a queer person, they were my heroes. Sigourney said, \u2018It\u2019s funny you found power in Ripley; I see her as someone who didn\u2019t have power and had to find it.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told her, \u2018That\u2019s why she matters so much, not just to queer kids, but to anyone who feels marginalized or powerless. To look at Ellen Ripley and say, \u2018If she can survive, I have a chance.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s such an important message in Aurora: Despite being a little girl, she kept rescuing herself again and again until someone came to help. I hope people who need that encouragement will find something in Aurora they can relate to and be inspired by.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bryan
Dust Bunny director Bryan Fuller. Roadside Attractions<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bryan Fuller on Reuniting With Mads Mikkelsen for Dust Bunny<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The project is a reunion between Fuller and his Hannibal<\/a><\/em> star, Mads Mikkelsen, who plays both an anti-hero and surrogate father. The actor\u2019s stoicism and jumpsuits pop as brightly as the candy-colored action.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMads is a huge Bruce Lee fan, and I wanted him in a yellow tracksuit, fighting with nunchucks,\u201d Fuller says. \u201cIt\u2019s pure wish-fulfillment for him. When Mads came in for his fitting, he said, \u2018I\u2019ve been trying to figure out who this guy is, who would wear all these clothes, and I finally had to give up and trust you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dust Bunny<\/em> was originally planned as an episode of the 2020 reboot of Steven Spielberg\u2019s Amazing Stories<\/a><\/em>, but the series was canceled. The original show debuted in 1985 and was an early production by Amblin Entertainment, the company Spielberg co-founded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was something about the Amblin brand of high-concept, emotional storytelling,\u201d Fuller says, \u201cthat gave you an adventure, that gave you young people in danger, that excited me growing up. Seeing those films was appointment viewing, in a way we\u2019ve kind of lost in the cineplex.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Fuller was writing Dust Bunny<\/em>, his playlist included composers Alexandre Desplat, Jerry Goldsmith, and the man behind the Bride of Frankenstein<\/em> score, Franz Waxman. In the vein of the classic Universal Monsters, Fuller wanted to see the humanity in his big and furry titular creature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dust
David Dastmalchian in <\/em>Dust Bunny. Roadside Attractions<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI found Universal Monsters so insightful about the human condition and monstrosities,\u201d Fuller says. \u201cOften, we remember the snapshots of those films and usually the monstrous poses, but they are three-dimensional characters with yearning and pain and being marginalized. I find them deeply relatable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuller is no stranger to writing outsiders concealing their true nature, from Ned talking to the dead in Pushing Daisies<\/em> or Mikkelsen\u2019s version of Dr. Lecter in Hannibal<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuller and his cinematographer, Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, talked often about the \u201cflavors\u201d of color they brought to the film\u2019s palette. They wanted an aesthetic both savory and sweet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur movie was mango chicken, not something purely savory like Hannibal<\/em> or purely sweet like Pushing Daisies<\/em>,\u201d Fuller says. \u201cWe drew inspiration from French cinema. I\u2019m a big fan of French maximalism.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bryan Fuller on POV<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Dust
Dust Bunny reunites writer-director Bryan Fuller with <\/em>Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen. Roadside Attractions<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fuller says among the films they discussed were The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,<\/em> The City of Lost Children<\/em> and La Femme Nikita<\/em>, because all had such strong points of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To express Aurora\u2019s perspective, Fuller and Whitaker toyed with ARRI lenses, and detuned anamorphics to dial up the anxiety and isolation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were going through lenses that we pulled, and Nicole removed the matte board at one point,\u201d Fuller said, \u201cand we had this wonderful 3:1 aspect ratio. We looked at the frame and thought, \u2018Is there any reason we shouldn\u2019t shoot this in 3:1?\u2019 Because looking at the frame and looking at the model that we had on the other side of the camera, it created a psychological space that captured Aurora\u2019s plight.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Aurora\u2019s perspective, ceilings are tall and hallways are long. Her apartment building is funky and timeless, with its gated elevator, warm colors, and painted snakes along the stairwell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film took advantage of the historic locations in its shooting location, Budapest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLocation scout Marci B\u00e1lint showed us the refurbished Hungarian Treasury Building,\u201d Fuller says. \u201cWe debated: Should we choose something more traditional, something that felt specifically European? Not that the apartment building we landed on didn\u2019t feel European in that sort of Beaux-Arts, Art Deco extravagance. Once we settled on that location, it informed the look of this film.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the apartment, the world is an animal kingdom. Production designer Jeremy Reed packed Aurora\u2019s apartment and other locations, including a shark-infected restaurant in Chinatown, with vibrancy and symbolism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a Chinese zodiac through-line running through many of the characters \u2014 snakes, chickens, dragons, pandas,\u201d Fuller explains. The production even considered shooting scenes at a European zoo, but Fuller and his crew felt that the conditions for the animals were inadequate, and that didn\u2019t sit well with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The director, accustomed to television\u2019s hustle and bustle, relished exploring character and story with his department heads like never before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith showrunning, you\u2019re constantly looking ahead,\u201d Fuller says. \u201cAs soon as you finish shooting, you\u2019re prepping the next one while still filming, so you rarely live in the moment. Directing let me have a more intimate experience \u2014 to live with the actors and department heads, to build meaningful relationships \u2014 rather than flying at 30,000 feet as a showrunner, clearing the road ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust was essential to Dust Bunny<\/em>. Fuller says Sheila Atim, who plays an action-ready social service worker, epitomized the communal atmosphere he seeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSheila often stood right next to the stunt performers,\u201d Fuller recalls. \u201cShe called out before another take: \u2018Bryan, I think the stunt guy\u2019s hurt. I don\u2019t think he can do another one.\u2019 She noticed things I couldn\u2019t see from behind the camera. People looking out for each other, reinforcing that let\u2019s-put-on-a-show energy you hear about in old Judy-and-Mickey stories from classic Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dust Bunny is now in theaters, from Roadside Attractions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main image: Sophie Sloane, Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver in <\/em>Dust Bunny. Roadside Attractions<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Though he created and led the shows Pushing Daisies and Hannibal, Bryan Fuller never directed episodes. So he wanted his","protected":false},"author":1927,"featured_media":1182814,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_comments":false,"cm_data":"","cpt_newsletter_id":0,"tpd_coauthor":[],"tpd_feed_delay":{"delay_type":"default"},"is_tpd_lists_single_post":false,"tpd_featured_posts_arr":"","tpd_franchise_content":"","hide_featured_img_single_post":false,"msn_featured_video":[],"_msn_custom_title":"","tpd_featured_video":[],"tpd_sponsored_post_logo":"","tpd_sponsored_post_logo_link":"","tpd_sponsored_post_logo_width":0,"tpd_sponsored_enable_nofollow":true,"tpd_disable_incontent_ads":false,"tpd_disable_right_rail_ads":false,"tpd_disable_after_content_ads":false,"tpd_disable_header_ads":false,"tpd_disable_sticky_footer_ads":false,"tpd_disable_video_ads":false,"tpd_disable_outbrain":false,"tpd_affiliate_disclaimer":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[41543],"tags":[11160,42187,14806,1650],"coauthor":[],"feeds":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1182808","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-interview","8":"tag-bryan-fuller","9":"tag-dust-bunny","10":"tag-hannibal","11":"tag-mads-mikkelsen"},"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DUST-BUNNY-Bryan-Fuller-428x241.jpg","fimg_url_thumb":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DUST-BUNNY-Bryan-Fuller-428x241.jpg","fimg_url":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DUST-BUNNY-Bryan-Fuller-788x444.jpg","author_name":"Jack Giroux","author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/de252f2371b5e1ef78050b34cdda4243d8240ffa4eac1acbe0fe143ab1d9bcf6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_link":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/author\/jack-giroux\/","coauthors":[],"primary_category":{"term_id":41543,"name":"Interview","slug":"interview","taxonomy":"category","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/category\/interview\/"},"featured_img_medium":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DUST-BUNNY-Bryan-Fuller-788x444.jpg","post_categories":["Interview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1182808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1927"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1182808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1182808\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1182814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1182808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1182808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1182808"},{"taxonomy":"coauthor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthor?post=1182808"},{"taxonomy":"feeds","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feeds?post=1182808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}