AceShowbiz - David Lowery, the director of the upcoming A24 film Mother Mary, has credited Taylor Swift’s Reputation stadium tour and concert film as a major influence on the movie’s concert scenes.

In a recent interview with Empire, Lowery praised the Reputation concert film as “one of the best concert films ever,” describing it as “truly phenomenal.” He revealed that during the production of Mother Mary, his team repeatedly studied Swift’s film to help shape the depiction of the stadium performances featured in the movie.

The director explained that they closely analyzed three songs from Reputation, breaking them down shot by shot to understand the visual effects and budgeting required for staging a large-scale concert within the constraints of an independent film’s budget. Lowery said, “We used that as a budgeting tool, because we didn’t know how to wrap our heads around actually pulling off a stadium concert-show on a minimal budget. We were literally using Reputation as a guide.”

Mother Mary stars Anne Hathaway as the title character, a larger-than-life pop star who is described as a blend between Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. The story follows her journey as she escapes a tour and reconnects with an old friend and fashion designer played by Michaela Coel, who helped craft her public image.

The film features original music by notable artists Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX, with a supporting cast that includes Michaela Coel, FKA twigs, Hunter Schafer, and Kaia Gerber. Lowery emphasized that Swift’s influence extended beyond the concert sequences to the very essence of the character of Mother Mary.

Lowery shared that during filming, Hathaway gifted him a beaded bracelet inspired by Swift’s song “Anti-Hero” from her album Midnights. This gesture underscored how deeply embedded Swift’s artistry was in their creative process. The director mentioned, “I definitely brought a lot of Taylor Swift to the table in terms of who Mother Mary was. I would often be like, ‘Imagine Taylor Swift in 10 or 15 years,’ that’s sort of who this character could be.”

Additionally, Lowery confirmed that both he and Hathaway attended a performance of Swift’s current Eras Tour while they were in Europe, further highlighting the ongoing inspiration the pop icon provided to the film’s production team.

Mother Mary is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on April 17, followed by a wider release on April 24. The film promises to offer a compelling look at the complexities behind a superstar’s public and private lives, with a visual style heavily influenced by one of the most acclaimed concert films of recent years.