It’s clear that modern cinema has changed quite a bit from how movies were once made. In particular, the box office is ruled by major superhero franchise films like those from Marvel and DC, or the blockbuster Star Wars franchise. While these types of movies have plenty of fans, both inside and outside of the industry, it appears that director Roland Emmerich is not one of them. Roland Emmerich, who has directed such films as the 1998 Godzilla, Independence Day, and the upcoming film Moonfall, has claimed that they’re actually ruining movies.
He asserted these beliefs while speaking with Den of Geek, claiming that no one wants to do anything original. Interestingly, he noted a lot of his distaste for superhero films comes from growing up in Germany, where they just weren’t popular.
As stated:
“Because naturally Marvel and DC Comics, and Star Wars, have pretty much taken over. It’s ruining our industry a little bit, because nobody does anything original anymore.”
He continued:
“There were [The Adventures of Tintin comics], but they were very childish and there were no superheroes. So that’s why at the very beginning, superheroes didn’t work in Germany. They needed 10 or 15 years [of movies] to get to the same level as the rest of the world…. But I just have never found any interest in that kind of movie.”
Finally, Roland Emmerich also noted that Christopher Nolan is one of the few filmmakers left that tends to make whatever project they want. Unlike Roland Emmerich, he can apparently get funding for original IPs without any issue.
“You should make bold new movies, you know?” Emmerich explained. “And I think, actually, Christopher Nolan is the master of that. He is someone who can make movies about whatever he wants. I have it a little bit harder, but I still have a big enough name—especially when it’s a disaster [movie] or has some sort of disaster theme.”
There’s certainly an interesting argument here, as this is the first time in pop culture that superhero films have dominated the box office as much as they do now. It’s also the first time to have so much Star Wars content produced on a regular basis. While the ultimate outcome for these franchises is yet to be seen, they certainly are making money for the time being.