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'Run Lola Run' at 25: How the movie ran a multiverse ahead of its time

Franka Potente is seen here in 'Run Lola Run' from 1999. (Moviestore/Shutterstock via CNN Newsource) Franka Potente is seen here in 'Run Lola Run' from 1999. (Moviestore/Shutterstock via CNN Newsource)
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Listen up, Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Twenty-five years ago, a small, low-budget German film by the name of 鈥淩un Lola Run鈥 took the world by storm. Looking back, its director sees parallels between his visionary movie and the multiverse films that have become tentpole blockbusters today.

Starring a magenta-haired Franka Potente, 鈥淟ola鈥 follows the titular heroine as she must race across Berlin to help her lackey mobster boyfriend (Moritz Bleibtreu) out of a life-threatening bind鈥 and somehow find 100,000 Deutsche Marks along the way.

One of the principal aspects of the film that makes it so special is how it鈥檚 divided into three parts, vignettes that re-imagine Lola鈥檚 predicament and follow her along a slightly different chain of events, each leading to a drastically different outcome.

鈥淭he whole idea that you start from the same moment again, and you create a parallel universe鈥 was at the core of his film, 鈥淟ola鈥 director Tom Tykwer said in a recent interview with CNN.

And while he made the distinction that 鈥淩un Lola Run鈥 is a film in which each vignette ends and 鈥渞esets鈥 the story 鈥 instead of coexisting with the alternative stories that follow 鈥 when asked if he thought the whole multiverse trend began around the time of his film, Tykwer replied, 鈥淐onceptually, yes.鈥

Just like in more recent multiverse movies like 鈥淚nto the Spider-Verse鈥 or 鈥淒octor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,鈥 each universe or vignette shares certain similarities. In 鈥淟ola鈥檚鈥 case, the most significant similarity is an animated sequence toward the beginning of each vignette 鈥 or 鈥渞oute,鈥 as Tykwer refers to them 鈥 when she runs down the stairwell of her building and encounters a neighbor in a doorway with a vicious-looking dog. It is the subtle differences of that early interaction that set each version of Lola鈥檚 story in new directions Tykwer said he always envisioned that particular sequence as being animated.

鈥淚t was always amusing and fun to imagine that the first detour that each route takes is coming from animation, because animation is the closest to 鈥 in film 鈥 the closest to directly translated imagination,鈥 he said.

Another parallel 鈥淟ola鈥 shares with some of the bigger movies of today is the exceptional physical demands it put on its star, Potente.

While most actors might train for a role to optimize their physique and appearance for the benefit of the camera 鈥 think Hugh Jackman for his portrayal of the muscly mutant Wolverine, or Henry Cavill for 鈥淭he Witcher鈥 鈥 and actually lose their progress and stamina while shooting the film itself, Potente is seen running at a fast clip for an astounding amount of screen time in 鈥淩un Lola Run鈥 (hence the title).

Surprisingly though, the actress 鈥 who has gone on to appear in the 鈥淏ourne鈥 film franchise opposite Matt Damon and as the Season 2 villain in 鈥淐laws,鈥 among many other credits 鈥 does not consider that shoot from early in her career as one of the most grueling.

鈥淣o, I wasn鈥檛 in any shape. I probably, to be very honest with you, (am in) way better shape right now than I was then,鈥 Potente said, adding that she was a smoker at the time.

鈥淚 mean, Jesus. But I was young.鈥

She also mentioned how in early talks with Tykwer, the director told her he 鈥渄id not want somebody who looked like a like an ultra runner.鈥

鈥淭hat would have turned a lot of things upside down about the film. I think it was about this person that in that very moment, wearing Dr. Martens, just decides to be self-reliant and go,鈥 Potente continued. 鈥淎nd that was really important to come across. So there was no training involved.鈥

鈥淩un Lola Run鈥 races back into movie theaters nationwide on Friday, June 7 with a restored 4K print, in honor of the 25th anniversary of its release.

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