402 replies to this topic

[SecretAgentFan]

Yes, definitely - but David Lynch is a wonderful anomaly and has filled his special niche-filmography with very few films.

[Blofeld's Cat]

 

 

It would be great if they could get Martin Campbell back to do one last one. Coming full circle from CR, the 25th film, Daniel's (presumably) last film - it would be an event that I bet he would be hard pressed to say no to.

 
Um, he's 73 now.

David Lynch is 71 and he's been keeping himself busy.

 

Clint Eastwood is even older.

[Professor Pi]

And neither has The Green Lantern on their resume.

[MISALA1994]

Is it finally time for Paul McGuigan?

[Professor Pi]

Coincidentally, Clint Eastwood turned 87 today.

[dtuba]

73 ain't that old folks. Altman was making films until his 80's.

 

But it is understandable if Babs wants new blood in the directors chair.

[RMc2]

And neither has The Green Lantern on their resume.

 

 

Coincidentally, Clint Eastwood turned 87 today.

 

 

73 ain't that old folks. Altman was making films until his 80's.

 

But it is understandable if Babs wants new blood in the directors chair.

 

Yeah, Campbell's age doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that he might spoil his great two-for-two Bond record, especially given no director has delivered a great Bond on their third go - Moonraker, A View To A Kill, Live And Let Die... even Thunderball isn't as good as its pedigree.

[Dustin]

No, 73 isn't necessarily old today - though I've seen folks at 37 with the character of Methuselah...

But hiring a director beyond a certain age is always tricky with studios, Murphy's Law and all that. Studios just prefer their directors a bit younger (also because that's usually easier to 'handle' for them). Few directors like Scott or Eastwood get the chance to work with big budgets beyond a certain stage. And mostly they get it because they are cult directors whose names alone sell a film. Campbell isn't really in that league.

[Professor Pi]

Most Bond directors are in their late fifties when directing their final Bond (Terence Young, Lewis Gilbert, John Glen, Michael Apted.)  A few were less than fifty (Peter Hunt in mid 40s and Marc Forster, late 30s.)  The only over 60 were Martin Campbell (61 while filming CR), and Irvin Kirschner (60 for non-EON NSNA.)  It seems EON prefers directors in their 50s (Sam Mendes, Terence Young, Guy Hamilton, Gilbert.)  This makes sense given the combination of wisdom, experience, and energy required to helm a box office blockbuster. 

 

Bond films in particular have demands that Eastwood and Ridley Scott directed pictures just don't--the locale shifting globe trotting, the complicated stuntwork, the mind boggling budgets, and the monstrous expectations under the microscopic lens of a 24/7 entertainment news cycle.  We fans may be okay with with a 70+ age director, but we're not bankrolling a quarter a billion dollars for it either.  Directors are like CEOs of giant companies at this point. 

 

Which brings us back to Campbell and Green Lantern.  He may not be entirely at fault for its failure, but its impact on Warner Bros. fledgling attempts to start a DC universe was devastating. 

[glidrose]

...and Roman Polanski is 84 this year and he's got a new film coming out with Eva Green. Based on a True Story.

And Manuel de Oliveira was making films until his death. He died in 2015 at age 106. That's no typo. Born 1908.

It would be great if they could get Martin Campbell back to do one last one. Coming full circle from CR, the 25th film, Daniel's (presumably) last film - it would be an event that I bet he would be hard pressed to say no to.

 
Um, he's 73 now.

David Lynch is 71 and he's been keeping himself busy.

Clint Eastwood is even older.

 
 

73 ain't that old folks. Altman was making films until his 80's.

[Pussfeller]

Lewis Gilbert is only 97. 

[Tiin007]

Lewis Gilbert is only 97. 

 

"Well, if you can get him..." 

[Gobi-1]