Are we about to lose one of Hollywood’s most successful sci-fi directors?

One of the most creative minds in filmmaking in the modern era may be preparing to take his final bow from the director’s chair, citing concerns about the state of Hollywood ahead of the release of his next collaboration, A24. Civil war.

Believe it or not, Alex Garland, the Oscar-nominated writer-director, wasn’t always in the movie business. In fact, he first came onto the scene in 1996 as an author with his novel the beachWhich will later be turned into a feature film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. But more importantly, the success of Garland’s first book led him to meet someone who would take his career to new heights: acclaimed director Danny Boyle.

2002 After 28 days It marks Boyle and Garland’s first official collaboration with… sunrise Five years later, in 2007. Both films were well received by critics and audiences, launching Garland’s career as a screenwriter as well as making him one of Hollywood’s most promising up-and-comers.

Since then, Garland has continued to direct films such as Extermination And Previous machine, which is widely credited with launching the distribution company A24. Although Garland has generally stayed within the realm of science fiction, he made his first foray into horror with the 2022 film. men Starring Jessie Buckley, which… well, its Rotten Tomatoes score speaks for itself.

Today, Garland has received some impressive awards for both writing and directing. Fan favorite Previous machine He recently received the IMAX re-release treatment as A24 looks to promote his next film, a political thriller titled Civil war. But believe it or not, the upcoming film may be the last time we see the sci-fi author behind the camera.

Talk to Watchman While pressing for Civil war, Garland has revealed that he is done directing “for the foreseeable future”, reaffirming that he is indeed planning to step back from the camera after the premiere of his war epic opposite Kirsten Dunst.

“Nothing has changed. ‘I’m in a very similar situation,'” he told the publication after being asked about a 2022 interview in which he hinted he would retire from directing. “I don’t plan on directing again for the foreseeable future,” Garland added, making sure to clarify, ” “I really love cinema,” but “filmmaking doesn’t exist in a vacuum.”

Although it appears that Garland has by no means lost his passion or creative spark, he admitted that the “pressure” he feels on a near-constant basis outweighs any positives in directing, claiming that he will instead shift his focus to screenwriting. .

“The pressure doesn’t come from money,” Garland explained. “It comes from the fact that you are asking people to trust something that does not, on the face of it, appear trustworthy.” To further illustrate his point, he pointed to his cautionary tale about artificial intelligence Previous machine“Alicia (Vikander) and Sonoya (Mizuno) trust that nudity will be treated thoughtfully and respectfully… (when) cinema tends toward not doing so,” he said.

Although his comments are, admittedly, somewhat surprising, Garland’s concerns about the entertainment industry appear to stem from concerns about the use of visual effects, as blue screens have become the norm in major Hollywood productions. Since it’s difficult to predict how well a film will fare with audiences, Garland seems less confident in reassuring his cast and crew that things will go according to plan, despite not having any assurances himself.

With huge budgets on the rise and the threat of artificial intelligence technology looming, Garland’s latest statements should ring warning bells for the entertainment industry — especially in the wake of the now-resolved WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Ultimately, for those who are heartbroken at the prospect of another sci-fi legend hanging up his hat, fear not: Garland is still set to co-direct the war, Which, according to Movie storiesIt will take place in 2007 during the Iraq War. Leading stars including Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter and Charles Melton have been tapped to lead the cast, and will see Garland once again teaming up with Civil war Co-author Ray Mendoza.

Although a lot of details surrounding it the war Remaining shrouded in mystery – including its release date – it looks like the film could be the final credit for Garland’s directorial. There is always a chance for that Civil war He could be convinced otherwise if audiences cared as much as critics did, but things aren’t looking quite as good for his future behind the camera.

Alex Garland settles pension claims

Since his initial interview with Watchman, Garland clarified his statements about “retiring” from the industry in a recent profile for indiewire, Saying that his statements had become “extrapolated” in the press. He also clarified that his comments had nothing to do with his feelings for her Civil war.

“What I said is that I’m taking a break from directing for the foreseeable future. How can that be extrapolated to what pride I feel or don’t feel in this film. I don’t see the connecting thread,” he said. “I said I’m taking a break from directing for the foreseeable future. Why is a statement like this taken and captured or interpreted to such a degree? There’s something strange going on there. There’s something weird about that… It’s a general weirdness about the form that public statements take, how they’re used, how words are interpreted or read.

Surprisingly, Garland only has five directing credits to his name, not including the upcoming film the war. With this in mind, it’s important to realize that Garland is, in many ways, famous for his screenplays, which makes it somewhat surprising that he would want to return to just writing. However, people are clearly misinterpreting his previous statement, with Garland adding: “Filmmaking is not just for directors.”

A hiatus of sorts would likely salvage his relationship with the film industry, although it’s undeniable that Hollywood’s future looks very bleak. Ultimately, Alex Garland has the right to stop directing if he so chooses, and all we can do is hope that his fellow sci-fi authors don’t follow suit, otherwise stories like Previous machine It may become a horrific reality

(Featured Image: A24)

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