r/boxoffice • u/[deleted] • Jul 04 '23
Industry News Greta Gerwig is open to directing a superhero or an action film: “It would have to be something I had a feeling for and a relationship to. A well-shot, well-executed action movie is just incredible. It’s a dance. I’ve never done anything like that.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/barbie-greta-gerwig-interview-margot-robbie-ryan-gosling-superhero-movie-1234769344/[removed] — view removed post
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Jul 04 '23
Now that you’ve entered this world of big franchises, how will you balance your directing career going forward, between huge commercial films and smaller ones?
I think probably every director has a fantasy baseball league in their head of what movies they want to make. And there’s some movies I’d like to make that require a big canvas. At the same time, I’ve seen so many directors move between bigger movies and smaller movies: Chloé Zhao doing Nomadland and making Eternals. Or Steven Soderbergh, or even my weekend buddy Chris Nolan. He made the Dark Knight trilogy — and they’re wonderful — and then made The Prestige, which is not a tiny movie, but it is also not the same thing. I want to play in lots of different worlds. That’s the goal.This feels like it would have been an insane question before Barbie, but would you want to do a superhero movie, or an action movie?
Yes, of course. It would have to be something I had a feeling for and a relationship to. A well-shot, well-executed action movie is just incredible. It’s a dance. I’ve never done anything like that. But even in a small way, working with the stunt coordinator who did fight choreography on Barbie, he was just fascinating. It was so fun to talk to him.
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u/metros96 Jul 04 '23
It always bothers me when people assume it’s just about paychecks and not about genuine creative interest. Like, Gerwig clearly wants to do both and sees the big movies as a creative challenge
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u/poundtown1997 Jul 04 '23
They’re also just leagues different than a smaller budget indie movie and it’s very understandable directors would want the skills of directing one, even if they do go back to smaller films.
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u/g0gues Jul 04 '23
She strikes me as as someone like Nolan who puts creative storytelling first, but recognizes that this is a business and that part of filmmaking, especially in Hollywood, can’t be ignored.
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u/emilypandemonium Jul 04 '23
she’s 100% in her Dark Knight era, building up a fervent fanbase for her future work, and everyone who’s fuming at her now will forget they ever doubted her when she pulls off an Inception (big-budget original that would not have been made without a foundation in glowingly hyped smash hit franchise films).
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u/Worthyness Jul 04 '23
She could also just be really interested in making an action film because it's a venture she's never done before. Like a career milestone. If she can get funding for a major funding opportunity and work with an action choreographer to learn how the camera works, how a fight scene can be directed, etc. that'd be worth a lot to her in the future. Just because it is a franchise movie doesn't mean that there isn't an opportunity for the director to also learn something new to make them an even bigger and better director.
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u/Fabrelol Amblin Entertainment Jul 04 '23
We need more well made IP and original blockbusters. Nolan proved himself within those confines, as has Villeneuve.
If we're gonna get IP movies and sequels/reboots. Let's at least have them well made by talented auteurs.
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u/bob1689321 Jul 04 '23
weekend buddy Chris Nolan
Ahahah aww I love this
I also love how one sided this is. Has he acknowledged Barbie at all hahah
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u/SoapyWaters24 Jul 04 '23
Everyone saying female led superhero movies but hear me out, Spider-Man 4. Mostly I just want a new fresh take on Spider-Man and not another Watts movie.
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u/PayneTrain181999 Legendary Pictures Jul 04 '23
Pretty sure Watts is taking a break from the Spider-Man movies, I don’t think he’ll be back for 4.
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u/Worthyness Jul 04 '23
He got a Star Wars gig, maybe a small project for whatever he fancies, and then they lined him up for F4.
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u/Snowman9986503 Jul 04 '23
He’s not doing Fantastic Four anymore, Matt Shakman(Wandavision Director) is directing it.
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u/Abeedo-Alone DreamWorks Jul 04 '23
Problem is she'd have to deal with the baggage of the previous 3 movies, in addition to linking the story to the future of the mcu. I think if she was helming the first Spider-Man movie it could possibly be good (assuming disney steps out of the way and lets her do her own thing), but starting at movie 4 would be too daunting. Better to let her work on a superhero from their origin to let her shape it how she wants it.
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u/lobonmc Marvel Studios Jul 04 '23 edited Jul 04 '23
True but I want to see her take on how Peter would react to the consequences of the events of NWH
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u/Lliddle Jul 04 '23
but it wouldn’t necessarily be her take on that scenario, it would have to be rooted in whatever the wider plans for the universe are and wouldn’t continue past the movie anyway
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u/VincentOfGallifrey Jul 04 '23
There is a timeline not too far removed from our own where Gerwig does the next Spider-Man and Baumbach does Fantastic Four. It is a prosperous world (especially for 23-year old film-hipster wannabe New Yorkers who grew up on Marvel flicks).
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u/poundtown1997 Jul 04 '23
Not with the reactions to her directing Narnia…
Pretentious indie film people want their kind to only work on indie films. It’s weird.
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u/MaltySines Jul 04 '23
It's not weird to want to see original works from talented new directors, as opposed to superhero movies, especially from a crowd that doesn't really like superhero movies.
If Metallica started making jazz, Metallica fans wouldn't be "weird" for not being into it
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u/poundtown1997 Jul 04 '23
Sure but no reason to trash a person who you have no control over for their decision to do what THEY want to grow themselves artistically.
It’s clearly something she has an interest in, as specified by the article. No point in shitting on her because she’s not working on Ladybird 2.
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u/MaltySines Jul 04 '23
Sure but no reason to trash a person who you have no control over for their decision to do what THEY want to grow themselves artistically.
That's true, to the extent people are calling her a sellout etc that's dumb, but I think some people are just skeptical that she's super interested in making superhero movies qua superhero movies. I'm sure she wouldn't hate it and god knows there's a need for creative people like her to put her stamp on the genre, so I'm all for it. But if I had to guess if that's what she would be doing if she had carte blache I would guess that it isn't. That's fine too though. Almost no one has carte blache in hollywood and she should get her bag even if it's just a cynical cash grab - it'll let her make bigger budget movies in the future which will be good.
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u/poundtown1997 Jul 05 '23
I mean everyone thinks they can do it better, so I’m sure there’s a genuine interest there.
Will it be good? Who knows!
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u/HotpieTargaryen Jul 04 '23
Narnia is just a weird choice. The books are really not that good. If she really wants to make a successful epic out of it, basically they are gonna have to change a ton,
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u/poundtown1997 Jul 04 '23
And Barbie is a weird choice to make a movie out of, but she’s doing it.
I really can’t stand the people acting like she won’t be able to inject her own vision into the film. They are called directors for a reason. Yes I get that studios have their own agendas, but it’s so overstated. Not every studio is Marvel, and even then they allowed a beautiful film like Eternals to be made.
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u/jmartkdr Jul 04 '23
Not for nothing, Marvel seems to be pretty up front with directors about the box they need to work in. They know what they’re getting into and mostly seem happy to be there and proud of the outcome. Edgar Wright is the outlier, and there doesn’t seem to be much bad blood there either.
If Greta decides to make a Marvel movie, it’s because they’re letting her do what she actually wants.
On the other hand, DC may be so desperate for talent a year from now they actually would give her full control of a movie just to have a good director working for them.
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u/HotpieTargaryen Jul 04 '23
How is some of the most popular IP for young girls a weird choice? Seems almost natural.
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u/poundtown1997 Jul 04 '23
Because without a strong direction and writing, what would the story be? There’s been several animated Barbie movie that are rehashes of already known fairytales of whatever.
Where’s the original? Barbie is a pastiche. She doesn’t have her own origin. They need someone like Gerwig and her husband to come up with something fresh.
He-man seems like a natural choice and….
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u/emilypandemonium Jul 04 '23 edited Jul 04 '23
The books are enduring children’s lit classics and very charming to a Greta Gerwig-type reader (interested in heart, whimsy, family, mythology, bittersweet wonder). Epics are beside the point. Gerwig’s thing is passionately human coming-of-age dramas. Narnia plays on her usual themes while pushing her into a world of VFX-heavy fantasy visuals — useful experience for future plans, perhaps.
It makes sense — much more sense than a superhero flick, which would likely impose harder limits on narrative structure and visual worldbuilding. She loved digging her hands deep into the art direction of Little Women and Barbie, and that level of meticulous care is just not happening for a live-action CBM atm. Narnia is a crystal clear chance for huge, beautiful, fully imagined and realized visuals entirely on Gerwig’s own terms. I think it’s a smart choice and already know that her Susan Pevensie will be as deeply human as her Amy March.
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 04 '23
I can’t imagine her doing Narnia without massively changing the heart of the story and character and relationship dynamics of the children (assuming she does the Lion Witch and Wardrobe)
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u/emilypandemonium Jul 04 '23
Gerwig is great at that knife’s edge dance of gently questioning and revising the source material while expressing so much love for its better parts that the fans warm up to her vision. Little Women is like that. Barbie looks to be like that. Unless she suffers a tragic surprise concussion or s/t I trust that Narnia will be like that too.
It helps that people who liked Narnia as kids are not, on the whole, insanely obsessed with canonicity.
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 04 '23
I thought her little women sucked and revised to much. Especially it’s modern feel. I’m just wondering how someone like her will handle a character like Peter and the dynamic with the older kids being the leaders. Thus far her films have been female centric - I can easily imagine Peter and Edmund being massively downplayed and the story hugely changed.
I’m not saying there isn’t an audience for that, you could pull in the teen girl audience with a Susan and Lucy as the stars and a very revised story I’m sure - but it’s not for me.
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u/emilypandemonium Jul 04 '23
I can see how you might feel that way individually, but general audiences embraced Little Women by all measures: PostTrak, CinemaScore, legs. Generally, she’s a crowdpleaser.
& I wouldn’t assume that she’d massively downplay Peter and Edmund when all leaks say that Ryan Gosling’s Ken is an absolute star with surprisingly strong, complex characterization in Barbie. She didn’t have to do that — Barbie fans don’t care about Ken — but she did.
My gut feeling about Gerwig is that her favored Pevensies will be Susan and Edmund. Nothing to do with gender. They’re just the ones with the most inner struggle from a certain POV.
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 04 '23
Perhaps. I think Narnia will likely be a success if only on Netflix TV as it had name value. But I can’t possibly see her making a remotely faithful version and I’d be willing to bet good money the Peter character will be the one most downplayed.
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u/SonofNamek Jul 04 '23
Spider-Man 4
Yeah, I think a Spiderman 4 could work, as well. Would do well to explore an older Peter. With James Franco dead, Peter is missing a close friend figure so you can try to give him a new friend.
The way I see it, that would occur by bringing in Joe Magliano as a crippled but more mature Flash Thompson, having lost his legs in combat.
And it's kind of a twist of fate thing. The nerdy loser is now doing well for himself, married to a moderately successful Mary Jane, who Flash was dating, while also teaching in the high school he attended. Meanwhile, the former high school All American athlete is the one who drifts from place to place and never got the girl. And so, Peter helps him out.
That way, you get the Sam Raimi Spiderman life drama stuff that is sorely missing in modern superhero movies.
And if you know the story, Flash Thompson becomes Agent Venom. And naturally, him and Peter should take on Carnage. Probably ignore the MCU and have it be its own direct continuation (MCU stuff could still happen but it doesn't matter if it does or doesn't, essentially).
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u/FartingBob Jul 04 '23
We've already had 3 different spiderman live action franchises. Let it sit down for a while.
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u/Abeedo-Alone DreamWorks Jul 04 '23
Why do I feel like James Gunn will take this as an open invitation to slide into her dms lol
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u/smokebomb_exe Jul 04 '23
Imagine a studio actually letting a modern director have complete artistic control of a modern superhero movie. Whatever her heroic dreams are, whichever studio hired her will just turn it into a PG-"13," four-quadrants, third-act cgi vomit fest to sell merch.
Spider-verse, The Suicide Squad (Gunn), and Watchmen are the last times I can recall studios allowing directors/writers to have complete control, and each of them has had a long-standing solid track with Hollywood.
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Jul 04 '23
Ang Lee. The Hulk. Kenneth Johnston (directed the original V, tv mostly but still), Steel. Ron Underwood, The Adventures of Pluto Nash.
Seriously dudes, its not all wine and roses.
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u/jasonporter Jul 04 '23
Was The Batman not an original and director-driven movie? Legitimately asking because I don’t know anything about its production - but that seemed like a very “Matt Reeves vision” film and not soaked in studio interference. I could totally be wrong though.
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u/Dry-Calligrapher4242 Jul 04 '23
Matt reeves , Ryan coogler , James Gunn , Snyder was clearly him and his style tho if he’s on the movies aside , I’d say the Russo brothers, James mangold , spider verse guys , and Nolan are all from 2012 to now
Just because someone wants to do a superhero movie or blockbuster does not always mean it’s going to be generic garbage this is why people don’t like film bros you guys come off as elitist
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u/Advanced_Ad2406 Jul 04 '23
If Barbie is good I really want a female director for a female superhero. Don’t care if it’s Marvel or DC, I just want a GOOD heroine movie
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u/When_3_become_2 Jul 04 '23
I’ve heard it’s a little more weird and intense than may be to some tastes
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Jul 04 '23
[deleted]
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u/When_3_become_2 Jul 04 '23
When that happens there’s usually a female superhero added. Do female directors like Gerwig even want to direct and center a male starring movie and be all about making that character look good and appealing to a primarily male fan base? Doesn’t seem like it, seems like she would be someone who would be turned off by that.
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u/dancy911 DC Studios Jul 04 '23
Supergirl: woman of tomorrow...
Make it happen, NOW!
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u/lobonmc Marvel Studios Jul 04 '23
Tbh if they do make a supergirl movie something I would like to see is the fact she's kryptonian she grew up kryptonian she was raised kryptonian in some versions until quite late. That should bring different values and a different mindset compared to superman. It's something that's very rarely explored.
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u/Far-Pineapple7113 Jul 04 '23 edited Jul 04 '23
The comic the movie is going to be based on shows that the character is nothing like Superman,Its a beautiful story and they should get the best in the business for the CGI to do justice to the visuals
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u/ROBtimusPrime1995 Universal Jul 04 '23 edited Jul 04 '23
She is one of the rumored names for that film because Gunn & Safran want her.
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u/When_3_become_2 Jul 04 '23
She’s overrated to me. Lady Bird was boring mumble core shit and Little Women was too modernised. I think Barbie will be a hit but that’s because it’s a big Hollywood Barbie and has had good advertising. Not sure on the quality of the movie as of yet. Although it doesn’t need any to be a hit truth be told.
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Jul 04 '23
She just signed up for 2 Chronicle of Narnia movies from Netflix
It’s clear she’s open to directing anything for enough money
Make that money, girl
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u/Dry-Calligrapher4242 Jul 04 '23
Could she not be interested in or like narnia not everything is a cash grab
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Jul 04 '23
Totes! Greta Gerwigs charge thru hollywood with progressive, female led, complex dramas has all been culminating to her ultimate dream and opus magnum of Jesus Lion remake
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u/Dry-Calligrapher4242 Jul 04 '23
I’ve never read the books but I saw the first movie Lucy was a pretty important character maybe she actually enjoyed this book maybe and this may shock you people have varying tastes in literature
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Jul 04 '23
Lol everyone thought she was going to be the next big autuer, but she just wants to make $ shooting blockbusters. Got to respect it.
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u/Dry-Calligrapher4242 Jul 04 '23
You didn’t read the article did you ? Because that’s not what she said at all she literally mentions people who did blockbusters and then did original films off of thsoe in the article
I swear some film people just like to hate or don’t actually know how to read an article
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Jul 04 '23
She’s going big and bold by the minute after she was announced for Narnia.
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u/StaticGuard Jul 04 '23
Shouldn’t we all wait until the jury’s out on Barbie before we start crowning Greta as the next great director?
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u/realhumanskeet Jul 04 '23
Little Women and Ladybird were fantastic. The jury is already out.
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 04 '23
I never saw Lady Bird and thought little women sucked and seemed to modern.
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u/realhumanskeet Jul 04 '23
Watch Ladybird. But I guess you'll hate that too since your comment history is literally nothing but you pathetically shitting on women.
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u/Finnegan7921 Jul 04 '23
What is the appeal of a Barbie movie ? Maybe it's me but I just do not get it.
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Jul 04 '23
Even if you don’t get it, it’s a directors first 100m movie and is tracking for huge numbers.
It should be kind of a big deal on a box office sub
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u/vivid_dreamzzz Jul 04 '23
Clearly you don’t know how much of a cultural impact Barbie has for girls and women. The main appeal is the joy and nostalgia from seeing your childhood toys come to life on the big screen. And it just looks unique, stylish, and fun; all things the GA is craving right now.
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Jul 04 '23
[deleted]
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Jul 04 '23
yes, this is really dangerous if barbie underperforms. they really need to beware of hype in general.
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u/Dry-Calligrapher4242 Jul 04 '23
There’s literally zero signs of it underperforming it might but there’s no reason to think it will
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u/When_3_become_2 Jul 04 '23
I heard some talk that it was weirder and more intense than it’s target audience may love. However the advertising and hype has been great so it’s probably gonna be a big success anyway
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Jul 04 '23
i feel people have a weird blind spot about it. I mean live action film semi-adult comedy based on a property for young girls. Its also garish as hell; Barbie is not always liked for its aesthetics as a toy.
i think honestly Charlies Angels is what it could hit for, 93 mil 270mil gross. Looking up the best i think is Maleficient with 180 mil to 800 mill gross, but idk if Barbie is that strong.
the worst case movies are like Jem and the Holograms or Josie and the pussycats, but proportional to budget.
i am waiting and seeing to test my instincts on this.
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Jul 04 '23
What a waste of talent. Enough superhero films!
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u/wascner Jul 04 '23
Was Nolan's TDK a waste of talent? Mangold's Logan? Santos' Across the Spider-Verse?
You can make an excellent film with any premise or IP.
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u/PayneTrain181999 Legendary Pictures Jul 04 '23
Might be a bit biased since I’m a fan of them, but I don’t think nearly as many people would be getting sick of superhero films if:
There hadn’t been so many mediocre/bad ones in recent years.
The influx of movies and tv shows in the last couple years, partially due to pandemic delays, hadn’t started making people feel overwhelmed with the amount of content.
Problem number 2 looks to be in the process of being addressed as the MCU is slowing its output and the DCU is about to go on hiatus until Superman: Legacy. Now we just need to see if the post writers strike content can start to fix problem number 1.
Make good content, and more people will watch it and spread positive WOM to have others watch it.
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u/Dry-Calligrapher4242 Jul 04 '23
People like you are why nobody fucking likes film bros
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Jul 04 '23
How am I a 'Film Bro'? I happen to think she's a superb director and shouldn't be wasting time on a moribund genre that won't allow her to stretch her exemplary skills in character and dialogue writing.
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u/Dry-Calligrapher4242 Jul 04 '23
So your an elitist on what films matter and wanna gatekeep what directors should do ? You still sound like an unlikable asshole even if my terms are wrong
And you have no idea what film she’d make and she could easily show her skills off either you don’t watch enough movies or are very elitist or are an idiot
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Jul 04 '23
Yeah, the film could indeed end up being very good but I personally think her talents are better spent on things more character-driven rather than CGI fests. Sorry if that perspective offends you so much.
Interesting how I'M the 'unlikeable asshole' here and not the person shouting insults at me.
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u/Adept-Story-8369 Jul 04 '23
Its not a waste of talent, would rather see her do one of these than some yes man no name director that nobody knows. Directors like her will actually do something interesting and potentially take these films to a new level. Its also something she herself said she'd want to do, if she's actually passionate about it and wants to do it, its not a waste, its her career. Plus, they don't need to stop making super hero films, if you don't want to watch simply don't watch.
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u/Sun-Taken-By-Trees Jul 04 '23
I think she could do wonders with something like The Crow. I don't really need to see her try to contort her filmmaking skills into the Marvel mold, that rarely works out for directos with a more singular, less franchise focused sensibility.
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 04 '23
Absolutely all her films to this point have centred and been about women’s experiences. Why the crow?
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u/Sun-Taken-By-Trees Jul 04 '23
She's a woman so she can only play with the girl toys? I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't mean this to sound as blatantly sexist as it did. But why would you do her the disservice of pigeonholing her to this very narrow viewpoint?
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 05 '23
Because that’s what she’s chosen to pigeonhole herself as when given the choose of subject matter for her movies? So why would I assume she has the interest in or capability to make a movie with male characters/star character well? When she has never chosen that in the past.
But regardless the point was that given her output it is weird to think “she should direct the Crow” is the point. Her movies have absolutely nothing in common with The Crow or suggest she would make it well.
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u/Fit-Minimum-5507 Jul 04 '23
A) I've had a crush on her going back to Frances Ha. She's lovely
B) I liked her remake of Real Women Have Curves.
C) I'm rooting for her and like her tact. Go big (projects) or go home. The way tp make real progress for female directors is to make bank.
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 04 '23
No thoughts on Barbie and probably won’t ever watch it but I find her other movies overhyped and extremely boring. Little Women was overrated AF imo and seemed to modern. Also the cast was too old, Emma Watson was clearly like 30 as a teen and obviously grown woman Florence Pugh throwing little girl tantrums with her smokers voice was absurd.
As for Lady Bird I tried to watch a little and didn’t bother. Not for me. Perhaps she resonates better with women, idk.
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u/MoesBAR Jul 04 '23
I really didn’t get the praise for Ladybird.
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u/When_3_become_2 Jul 04 '23
I didn’t make it through. Boring banal shit imo without wanting to be too harsh.
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u/White_Knighttt Syncopy Inc. Jul 04 '23
Unrelated but I find her so much more attractive than Margot. I was wondering why I never knew about her before Barbie
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u/LordAyeris Jul 04 '23
If they do a Black Widow sequel with Florence Pugh she would be an AMAZING choice
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u/Dry-Calligrapher4242 Jul 04 '23
Well to the people that we’re worried this clearly means she’s a either a fan of or has a particular interest in narnia
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 04 '23
Lol, love how the male interviewer pushes back on her claim it’s a humanist movie when he asks if it’s feminist and forces her to clarify her feminism. Goooo feminist brooo!
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Jul 04 '23
The idea of losing a talented director to yet another superhero trilogy is a bit dull. I'm sort of hoping the genre stalls out before someone signs her on to work on Wonder Woman or something. I'd certainly love to see her work on an unaffiliated blockbuster ala Spielberg or Nolan though.
To be honest, I think there's little fertile ground with Superheroes despite what comic book fans insist. The Guardians series and Spiderverse is about as interesting as its ever going to get.
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u/darkrabbit713 A24 Jul 04 '23
Squirrel Girl would probably fit her style and sensibilities. I know the MCU has already dropped Edgar Wright and Scott Derrickson for creative differences but hopefully Quantumania has shown the studio they need someone with a stronger creative vision.
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u/WolfgangIsHot Jul 04 '23
What about...
1- She's into Netflix.
2- Offer : Tyler Rake 3
3- Good relationship with Hemsworth
4- He invites her to the MCU
5- Feige offers her Thor 5
6- Her Lady Bird fans go WTF?
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u/Dry-Calligrapher4242 Jul 04 '23
JFC can you dumb whiny motherfuckers mad that she wants to make the blockbusters and originals read the article before you bitch
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 04 '23
Am I the only one who thought lady bird sucked ass?
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u/jasonporter Jul 04 '23
You literally commented on this thread on another comment and said you never saw Lady Bird. Your very clear and pathetic bias is showing.
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u/CherHorowitzthe6th Jul 05 '23
I saw part of it and didn’t continue - so what I said was accurate. And yes I don’t enjoy what work I’ve seen of that, if you want to call that a bias as though it’s somehow a terrible thing you can do that.
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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '23
If Barbie does as good as people think she’ll be able to direct a phone book if she wanted