Moviemaking is a notoriously tough business. Before you can even worry about heading up a smooth production – with the ultimate goal of making a half-decent movie – you first have to navigate the relentless bureaucracy of the pre-production process.
Even after all of this is taken care of, the fact that filmmaking is a largely collaborative process makes it conducive to creative differences and heated arguments, leading to certain individuals exiting the project altogether. Hollywood tends to keep this side of things quiet however, hoping to make the moviemaking process appear attractive and smooth – but here are ten examples that prove otherwise, in which movies were rumored to be taken over by someone other than the credited director.
The Mummy
Just a few years ago, it looked as though Universal was set to put all its chips on the ill-fated ‘Dark Universe’ – an MCU-style movie franchise that gradually brought together all the classic Universal monsters. With The Mummy serving as the grand opening for the franchise, the movie’s abysmal critical reception slammed the brakes on the Dark Universe right out of the gate.
While director Alex Kurtzman was credited as the movie’s director however, it was very apparent that Tom Cruise had a great deal of creative control over the movie. Making changes that put his character front and center, Cruise reportedly turned the movie into something of a vanity project – insisting on stunt-heavy action sequences while heavily monitoring Kurtzman’s work.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
With Sylvester Stallone at the height of his popularity around the time of Rambo: First Blood Part II’s release, it seemed the action star was eager to take the creative reins on more of his action vehicles, hoping to take some level of control behind the camera as well as in front of it.
It makes sense of course, as he did co-write the movie with James Cameron, with Stallone handpicking director George P. Cosmatos himself at the recommendation of his son. This ignited rumors that Stallone actually directed a lot of the movie himself, using Cosmatos as a means to get the movie made.
Return of the Jedi
George Lucas served as the creator and architect of the Star Wars franchise for decades, directing Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope as well as the entire prequel trilogy. While it may be the case that The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were helmed by different directors though, Lucas is reported to have been extremely vigilant regarding the creation of the movies.
While Empire’s Irvin Kershner was reportedly firm in creating his own vision for the movie however, Return of the Jedi’s Richard Marquand was much more pliable, with Lucas forcing him to film master shots and overseeing the editing process in order to maintain as much creative control as possible.
Tango & Cash
An Tango & Cash was reportedly plagued with production trouble, with director Andrei Konchalovsky and producer Stuart Baird clashing over their differing visions for the project.
While Konchalovsky – and Stallone for that matter – wanted to lean more heavily into its serious elements, Baird was adamant on a movie with a lighter tone. Deep into production, Konchalovsky was replaced with Albert Magnoli under Baird’s instruction – and given the movie’s eventual status as an action-comedy, it seems he was able to implement his vision for the movie.
The Thing from Another World
1951’s The Thing from Another World is one of the most famous ever examples of a movie’s directing credits being called into question. Rumored to have been surreptitiously helmed by legendary director Howard Hawks, the movie certainly has his fingerprints all over it.
Hawks was a credited producer on the movie – as well as a celebrated director in his own right – so it’s not too crazy to imagine he managed to wrestle creative control away from director Christian Nyby. To add fuel to the fire, even the movie’s own cast and crew hotly debated who really directed The Thing from Another World.
V For Vendetta
While the credited director for V For Vendetta is officially James McTeigue, the Wachowskis – most famous for the ground-breaking Matrix movies – weren’t exactly subtle in how they inserted themselves into the project.
As well as writing the movie, the Wachowskis also produced it and reportedly served as second unit directors, too. Perhaps the most compelling piece of evidence for the Wachowski’s rumored direction of the movie though is that McTeigue himself frequently serves as assistant director for the pair, making this the perfect way for them to secretly take the reins of the movie.
Dredd
Known for penning classic genre movies like Ex Machina.
The only thing wrong with this statement is that it’s very likely Ex Machina wasn’t Garland’s first experience in the director’s seat. After writing and producing 2012’s fan-favorite Dredd, rumors began to swirl that Alex Garland was brought in to direct the movie after credited director Peter Travis was ousted from the project. This was later confirmed by actor Karl Urban, who bluntly stated that Garland did in fact direct the movie.
Tombstone
Another entry concerning director George P. Cosmatos, rumor has it that the star of project, with Cosmatos merely facilitating Russell’s vision after the film’s original director, Kevin Jarre, was fired.
In fact, it seems this is more than just rumor, with many of Tombstone’s cast and crew – including Russell himself – itting that this was indeed the case. What’s more, Sylvester Stallone reportedly recommended Cosmatos to Russell, adding fuel to the fire that Stallone actually directed Rambo: First Blood Part II.
A Prairie Home Companion
When celebrated filmmaker Robert Altman signed on to direct the 2006 musical comedy A Prairie Home Companion, he was unfortunately rather unwell at the time, with the movie being his final creative effort. Hiring director Paul Thomas Anderson to help him out with the physical side of the job, Anderson was officially considered a ‘back-up’ director for the project should anything happen to Altman during the shoot.
It’s also reported however, that Anderson was much more active in the production than his back-up status let on, getting heavily involved with the actors as well as setting up shots. Due to this, it’s widely believed that while Altman is credited as the film’s sole director, Anderson was the key creative force behind the production.
Poltergeist
Fans of the classic 1982 horror film the movie – or whether it was none other than Steven Spielberg himself.
While there’s enough evidence for both sides of the argument to go back and forth all day, it comes down to this: Spielberg definitely had some level of creative control over the movie, but exactly how much is under contention. While Spielberg famously commented that Hooper wasn’t a ‘hands-on’ director and took on much of this work himself – an assertion confirmed by other actors on set – others claimed that Hooper was in 100 percent in charge.
