Filmmaking is full of compromises. Most major films require hundreds if not thousands of cast and crew members to collaborate on an extensive amounts of changes and updates. However, at the heart of every film is a great director who ultimately has final say on the end product of the film and controls its production.
A growing issue within the film industry has been that of directorial control. While more independent or established filmmakers retain final say over a film, many directors are kept on a leash by a studio. Studio interference has become an issue, as major corporations are so worried about the risk of failure that they feel obliged to make revisions. However, the art of film is about creative decisions and not corporate majority, and it's time studios give the right of films back to the men and women behind the camera.
One of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the generation is George Lucas, who has fought the studio system since his 1971 premier film THX-1138. The film was re-cut by its distributing company Warner Bros. without Lucas's permission, and subsequently failed at the box office. Similarly, Lucas's sophomoric effort American Graffiti was passed between multiple studios, including 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures, before ultimately being released by Universal Pictures, which still cut three major scenes from the film with the intention of distributing the film on television.
While these events may seem slight, it's important to remember the lasting effects of Lucas's films: THX-1138 became a sci-fi classic and received more praise following the release of Lucas's director's cut, American Graffiti was a Best Picture-nominated box office hit, and Star Wars quickly became one of the most influential films of all-time, smashing box office records and launching a new era of blockbuster cinema. While Lucas's films are now classics, he had to fight to retain his original vision.
Lack of directorial freedom has become an increasing issue for blockbuster cinema, especially in the superhero genre. While some directors such as Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises) and Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2, X-Men: Days of Future Past) have much of the creative control due to the success of their prior films, many filmmakers feel obligated to fit within a previously established narrative structure. For example Joss Whedon had to direct Avengers: Age of Ultron so it fit within the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe and lead into the future of the franchise.
Another notable example of the conflict between Marvel and a director was when Edgar Wright, who had worked on the Ant-Man film for over eight years, left the project due to an inability to establish his vision.
Even beyond the superhero genre, franchise directors must subvert their style in order to fit within the franchise formula. Strong indie directors like Colin Treverrow (Jurassic World) or Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class, Kingsman: The Secret Service) are courted to direct blockbusters, and sometimes they must fight to fit their style within the franchise formula. The biggest issue is creative control. Should a film's director attempt to make a unique film that fits within their own directorial tendencies or pander to a studio who wants to continue using a previously successful formula?
The ultimate solution is in compromise; studios often fear about unsuccessful box office returns, but with fewer and fewer original movies, many turn to franchise films for the future of cinema. While there are still directors like Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher and Christopher Nolan that can sell a film on their name alone, a big budget gives smaller directors the chance to breakout and reach their potential.
Many blockbusters films are good, and strong directors like Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit) and J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) push the boundary of blockbuster cinema by creating unique films, and even divisive films like Man of Steel (Zach Snyder) and Godzilla (Gareth Edwards) are products of unique filmmakers. In fact, some of the most successful film franchises like the James Bond, Mission: Impossible and the Marvel films frequently change directors.
Ultimately, strong directors will lead the future of cinema, and directors like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese are responsible for pushing the future of the medium and inspiring future generations of filmmakers. When there are passionate and talented directors then the renascence of cinema can continue, and great films can flourish. The job of studios is not to dictate the inception of these films, but to ensure that they can reach the widest audience and affect the most people.
