With big name directors including Christopher McQuarrie, Rian Johnson, and James Gunn out there talking about the negative perception caused by certain franchise’s toxic fandom, the latest to sound off is James Mangold. He’s got a dog in this fight as the director of Logan and the rumored director of the Boba Fett spinoff film, but according to him, directors of his quality may soon be turned off at the idea of working on anything with such a dangerously rabid fanbase.
At the point when work writing & directing big franchises has become the emotionally loaded equivalent of writing a new chapter of The Bible (w/ the probable danger of being stoned & called a blasphemer), then a lot of bolder minds r gonna leave these films 2 hacks & corp boards.— Mangold (@mang0ld) July 5, 2018
One cynical tweeter replied that these movies are already going to corporate hacks, and Mangold was quick to defend not only himself but McQuarrie and Johnson…
If you feel that is the case, if u feel the film makers are just corporate tools and powerless, then why bitch at us? In the case of @rianjohnson and @chrismcquarrie, i assure you these cats are not “owned”. They actually fight your battles behind the scenes.— Mangold (@mang0ld) July 5, 2018
Mangold wasn’t just out there on the attack. He actually shows some understanding of those who invest so much emotion into their favorite characters, but he wants them to choose a different way rather than denigrating filmmakers personally…
The fervor of some attacks has an evangelical ferocity. Now, I get it cause for many folk, including me, the SW saga holds tremendous spiritual power, similar to a religious text. But we must remember to try to handle our disappointments the way Yoda might, as opposed to Darth.— Mangold (@mang0ld) July 5, 2018
These comments aren’t coming out of nowhere. Something tells me Mangold will think long and hard before he signs on the dotted line to direct Boba Fett or any Star Wars movie.
