Ron Howard On Why He's Turned Down The Chance To Direct Superhero Movies
Did you know George Lucas approached Ron Howard to helm Star Wars: The Phantom Menace? Well, that's not the only geek-friendly project the In The Heart Of The Sea director turned down. Find out why Howard doesn't feel he's a good fit for superhero flicks after the jump...
Director Ron Howard has dabbled in sci-fi and fantasy with the likes of Cocoon, Willow and Splash, but over the course of his illustrious career he's yet to take the helm of a comic book/superhero movie - and it's not because he hasn't had the opportunity.
During his appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Howard revealed that he'd been approached by George Lucas do direct Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - along with Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, incidentally - but managed to convince him that he was the only man for the job (thanks for that, Ron). The talk then turned to superhero movies, and Howard explained whey he turned down the chance to direct some of 'em, without naming names.
"I’ve had opportunities over the years [to make superhero movies]. I really feel like you shouldn’t make a movie as a kind of exercise. You have to be all the way in. I was never a comic book guy. I like the movies when I see them, especially the origin stories. I never felt like I could be on the set, at 3 o’clock in the morning, tired, with 10 important decisions to make, and know, intuitively, what the story needs. For me, I’d be copycatting and not inventing. I’ve never said yes to one."
Guess it's just not every director's dream to play in the superhero sandbox. Would you have liked to see a Ron Howard CBM? If so, which characters? Sound off below, and let us know which movies you think he might have said no to while you're at it.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.