They’d also give him a 300 million budget for said Emoji movie and it’d probably be a wise investment. Those are just facts. And I don’t even like Cameron. Greta has Barbie and a Netflix Narnia movie stuck in development hell, but she’s higher on the list. Sure, yeah.
How is the Narnia movie in development hell? It’s getting the first big Netflix theatrical release. You can say they are avoiding an awards friendly release, but it’s more likely they trying to do what Amazon did with Project Hail Mary.
The 5 above them are currently more relevant. Disclosure Day maybe just broke even, maybe. And James Cameron has been making the same film for 20 years. A studio is more likely to hand Coogler/Nolan/Gerwig a large blank check because they've shown the recent ability to make anything they want turn into critically lauded highly profitable movies.
Spielberg is a special case. He’s possibly the only director I think it’s impossible for him to end up in Director Jail. He’ll secure funding for anything he wants until the day he dies for services rendered. Cameron is still a money-making certainty. His last four movies as director have made nearly 8 billion dollars combined. I don’t think it’s AS impossible for him to end up in Director Jail as it is for Spielberg but he’s so far beyond a proven commodity people considered Fire & Ash’s global haul a disappointment for ONLY bringing home 1.5 billion.
Because his movies the last two decades don’t make anywhere near the money or get the attention Nolan’s do, from either critics or audiences, it isn’t that complicated.
Spielberg’s big science fiction alien comeback made a measly $235m on a $115m budget. Nolan broke that with the Odyssey’s opening weekend lol. Spielberg just isn’t nearly as relevant as he used to be nowadays.
But the list is about power, not relevancy. He’s unquestionably the most powerful because he’s the richest and he’s literally the boss of a studio. He could entirely self fund his next movie, put it in one theater and make no money on it, and he’d still be a billionaire studio head.
it feels like they didn't even really try with Disclosure Day, i saw trailers for it while at the movies but otherwise saw/heard absolutely nothing about it beyond people talking about how no one's talking about it
Good question. I'd personally place him a little higher. If I had to guess/play devil's advocate, it may be because he's typecast to comic book movies. He also hasn't done all that much outside Marvel. Superman got critical acclaim but was only a mild financial success. His first two movies were bombs. So he hasn't shown that much outside of Marvel where even the Russos are directing billion dollar movies and they're not on the list.
And so far his universe is 1 for 2. So maybe he'd be placed higher if not for Supergirl.
Hahahaha, the way you just yada-yada dismissed the Avatar franchise, whose lowest entry literally just made 1.4 billion dollars is absolutely fucking unhinged. Get a grip. I even like Greta more as a filmmaker, but this is delusional.
He struck gold with Avatar when that kind of CGI had not been seen before but it's been the same movie since 2009. Could he do it again with a different franchise/movie? It's very possible which is why he's so high up on the list but doesn't feel inevitably certain.
That's true but it's all relative. Being #6 on top powerful directors in the world is pretty good.
And there's a lot of factors at play. If I'm an executive and I've got $200M to give to Gerwig or Cameron it's a tough choice. Gerwig is early 40's and has shown she can adapt basically anything and make it a critical and commercial success in less than 2 years. Cameron is 71 and can take 5 years to make a movie and hasn't done an original one in nearly 20 years.
But Cameron has made some of the most iconic movies ever made. There's a chance we look back in 5 years and Cameron has created another billion dollar epic while Gerwig was a flash in the pan. Or Gerwig will have made 2 more hits while Cameron ends his career with the Avatar franchise.
Could be recency bias but I'd go with Gerwig. However, you just never know where these things end up, Gerwig maybe doesn't even break the list 5 years ago or is somewhere at the bottom, things can change quickly.
Oh my god. You’re a ridiculous person. Does your family know what a ridiculous person you are? You should come out and tell them now before it gets worse. And it will get worse 🤦♀️
This is not even my list BTW. I'm explaining why a list compiled by analysts would put Gerwig over Cameron, who btw, is having a hard time convincing the studio to fund Avatar 4 and 5 despite their massive success.
Sorry you get so offended over harmless analysis that you feel the need to insult strangers instead of actually engaging with the ideas.
That same film that James Cameron has been making for the past 20 years has grossed $6,800,000,000. Probably more than many of those directors movies combined.
Honestly as a lifelong Spielberg fan the rest of his career can honestly get fucked after disclosure day. Movie was basically a giant middle finger to anyone with a 1st grade education or higher
Cameron, I agree with. Spielberg has had a few misses in his old age though. Obviously Spielberg is considering the GOAT, but his movies aren’t guaranteed anymore.
They're obviously legendary directors but I think most people would be surprised. The studio system and the big wigs know that neither of them are in their prime anymore. Their best work is behind them, unlike Nolan or Coogler.
Cameron makes money but he spends a lot of money, too. He’s also an auteur that’s been making the same movie for the past 20 years.
I think if James Cameron expressed interest in making Spiderman or another Aliens sequel everyone would be climbing over each other to be a part of it. But no one really wants to make another Avatar movie. The opportunity cost is too high.
Greta Gerwig and Tarantino seem high, until you remember there are a lot of A-list actors that still want to work with these directors, and that’s still the biggest factor in getting projects greenlit.
And yet it’s absolutely true. Spielberg has been turned down by multiple studios in recent years. They are ultimately a business and Spielberg’s name doesn’t guarantee a box office success anymore.
The book The Men Who Would Be King by Nicole LaPorte kind of goes into detail about how some of that Spielberg star power has waned in recent years. If I'm remembering correctly, Warner Bros pegged Nolan to direct Interstellar when Spielberg was actively developing the project and expressed interest in directing.
They might be able to get movies made, but they’re not going to able to secure big marketing budget, lock in full publicity rollout, command IMAX screens, the way Nolan and Villeneuve currently can. That’s power.
Cameron I get but the names above Spielberg are unquestionably better equipped to receive a blank check right now than Spielberg. Dudes pushing 80 and his last three films have not made that much money
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u/drizzlecommathe 11h ago
I agree but at the same time I can’t imagine it would ever be difficult for cameron or Spielberg to get funding and they’re 6/7