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‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Director James Gunn Responds to Jodie Foster’s Comments about Superhero Movies

Director James Gunn has always kept an open and forthright dialogue with his fans via his social media pages. That’s why it’s no surprise that when one fan asked him about his thoughts on actress Jodie Foster’s recent criticism of superhero films, he responded with an honest and heartfelt reply.

In a recent interview with the Radio Times (via DailyMail), Foster commented on superhero films saying, “Going to the movies has become like a theme park. Studios making bad content in order to appeal to the masses and shareholders is like fracking — you get the best return right now but you wreck the earth. It’s ruining the viewing habits of the American population and then ultimately the rest of the world.”

Gunn, who is best known for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films, views things a little differently. When asked for his thoughts on Foster’s comments, Gunn responded with a series of tweets saying the following:

“I think Foster looks at film in an old-fashioned way where spectacle film can’t be thought-provoking. It’s often true but not always. Her belief system is pretty common and isn’t totally without basis.  I say not without basis because most studio franchise films are somewhat soulless – and that is a real danger to the future of movies. But there are also quite a few exceptions.  For cinema to survive I believe spectacle films NEED to have a vision and heart they traditionally haven’t. And some of us are doing our best to move in that direction. Creating spectacle films that are innovative, humane, and thoughtful is what excites me about this job.  But, to be fair, at least from Foster’s quotes, she seems to see filmmaking as something that’s primarily about her own personal growth.  For me, that may be part of why I do this, but spending many millions of dollars on a film has to be about more than that – it’s communication – so my experience is merely one spoke on that wheel.  But I respect Foster and her talent and what she’s done for films and I appreciate her different way of looking at Hollywood’s landscape.”

Superhero films clearly aren’t going away anytime soon with some of the most highly-anticipated films for 2018 being Marvel’s Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and DC’s Aquaman. And there’s only more to come in future years.

What do you think about Jodie Foster’s comments on superhero films? What do you think about James Gunn’s response? Do you think superhero films are all spectacle and no storyline? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

 

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