Zendaya and John David Washington ‘secretly filmed a movie during pandemic’

Hollywood stars Zendaya and John David Washington secretly filmed a feature-length movie during the coronavirus pandemic, it has emerged.

The actors star together in Malcolm & Marie, described by Hollywood news website Deadline as having echoes of Noah Baumbach’s family drama Marriage Story.

Filming reportedly took place between June 17 and July 2 at Caterpillar House, an environmentally friendly home in Carmel Valley, California.

Shooting was approved by the major entertainment industry unions, Deadline said, and adhered to the state’s Covid-19 protocols.

Zendaya, who stars in HBO’s acclaimed drama Euphoria, confirmed Malcolm & Marie’s existence on Instagram.

She shared a black-and-white still of her and Washington, star of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming blockbuster Tenet, along with the film’s title.

Rapper Kid Cudi is listed as an executive producer and tweeted: “Really excited about this!!”

Malcolm & Marie, which has reportedly finished production, would appear to be the first feature film to be made since the industry was put on hold in March.

California has made tentative steps to emerge from lockdown, though parts of the state have reversed course in response to surging numbers of coronavirus cases.

The film is said to have come about after Zendaya, 23, teamed up with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, who wrote Malcolm & Marie in six days.

Production was helped by the fact it was legal to shoot on private property in Monterey County, while an extensive list of health and safety measures was reportedly in place.

They included a maximum of 12 people on set at any one time, temperature checks at the beginning and end of every day and extra time allowed to sanitise equipment.

No release date has been announced. Representatives for Zendaya and Washington have been contacted for comment.