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Directors Rival Movie Stars For Bankability
The A-list // Illustration by Kate Walker
In the past couple of years, it has become clear that filmmakers are now the biggest box office draw.
The Big Picture: What goes around comes around. During the New Hollywood era of the 1970s, filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola were the biggest names in movies. By the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s, everything revolved around actors. Over the past 15 years, IP reigned supreme. But as a new generation has become the most active moviegoing audience, its stamp of approval has shifted back to the person behind the camera.
Behind The Scenes: Marvel and DC titles have become less dependable at the box office, and even the biggest movie stars have had mixed success attracting audiences.
But top directors have become consistent hitmakers, per Insider.
Christopher Nolan hasn’t had a movie gross less than $550 million (barring the COVID release of Tenet). The marketing for his latest movie, The Odyssey, was heavily focused on him… and it has already made more than $640 million worldwide.
Greta Gerwig’s first two movies were surprise moneymakers, but it was her highly original take on Barbie that sent her into the stratosphere. Her next movie, a Narnia adaptation, will be the first Netflix film to receive a wide theatrical release.
Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther movies and Creed were bona fide blockbusters, but so was his return to original filmmaking with Sinners… which found success in part thanks to one savvy piece of marketing: his video explaining why audiences should see it in IMAX.
Jordan Peele has become synonymous with horror, thanks to the outsized and consistent success of Get Out, Us, and Nope.
Final Credits: The list of fresh names that have catapulted to that rarified auteur status after just one or two movies is already growing, including The Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Zach Cregger (Weapons), Curry Barker (Obsession), and Kane Parsons (Backrooms). That might be because, in an age of AI, young audiences are appreciating the singular, authentic visions of filmmakers more than ever — they’re not just excited by their movies, but by their take on the movie.
How else does a drama like Oppenheimer make almost a billion dollars at the box office and sweep the Oscars?
Coming Soon: Knowing that they’re the draw, A-list directors may take more chances on filling original movies with no-name actors, allowing those fresh elements to fuel the mystery surrounding what they’re making.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.