Is The Bubble’s Darren Eigan Based on a Real Director?

‘The Bubble’ is a comedy movie that follows a film-within-a-film format and highlights the challenges of making a movie during the Covid-19 pandemic. The film is directed by Judd Apatow and follows the cast and crew of the ‘Cliff Beasts’ franchise as they film the upcoming sixth movie in the dinosaur-themed franchise.

The regular and new faces in the franchise are placed in the capable hands of director Darren Eigan. Since the film serves as a meta-commentary on Hollywood and loosely takes inspiration from real incidents, viewers must be wondering whether the talented director is based on any real-life figures. If you are curious to find out the same, here is everything you need to know! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Is The Bubble’s Darren Eigan Based on a Real Director?

Darren Eigan is a fictional character appearing in ‘The Bubble.’ Darren is an acclaimed director from the indie movie scene who has been hired by the studio behind ‘Cliff Beasts’ to direct the sixth installment in the franchise. Darren is a winner of an award at the Sundance Film Festival, which honors the work of independent filmmakers. Such is Darren’s proficiency in filmmaking that he made a movie on his iPhone 6 that won him the aforementioned award. Darren’s next project is the sixth movie in the ‘Cliff Beasts’ film series, and it is his first major studio project with a big budget.

Actor Fred Armisen essays the role of Darren in the movie. Armisen is a multi-talented artist known for acting, comedy, music, and writing. Some viewers will recognize Armisen as Dr. Michael “Skip” Henai from the Showtime comedy series ‘Moonbase 8.’ Although Armisen does have a few acting credits under his name, he hasn’t directed any major blockbuster films. Therefore, it is unlikely that the character of Darren is directly based on Armisen.

‘Cliff Beasts 6’ is loosely inspired by the production of ‘Jurassic World Dominion.’ Therefore it is likely that Darren is loosely based on the film’s director Colin Trevorrow. Trevorrow rose to fame after directing ‘Jurassic World’ which has spawned two sequels. However, before that, the director made independent movies such as the sci-fi comedy ‘Safety Not Guaranteed.’ Although not written by Trevorrow, the movie received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Eventually, Trevorrow was hired to write and direct ‘Jurassic World’ and its sequels. Therefore, the character of Darren shares some similarities with Trevorrow.

However, within the film’s narrative, Darren serves as a means for writers of ‘The Bubble’ to comment on Hollywood’s studio culture, and the pressure directors face while making big-budget movies. Many studios have turned to hiring indie directors for helming new installments in hit franchises in recent times. Some notable examples include Taika Waititi and Chloé Zhao. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that Darren is not based on any single real director. The character serves as a personification of a trend in modern-day franchise filmmaking.

Read More: Where Was The Bubble Filmed?