Christopher Nolan has come to the defence of film franchises, saying that Hollywood needs them to survive.
The list of top 10 grossing films per year has been dominated by sequels, prequels, spin-offs and adaptations of existing intellectual property for the best part of two decades now, with Nolan's films like Oppenheimer being the rare exceptions.
Of course, Nolan himself directed three Batman films, so it's not hugely surprising that he believes franchises have their place. As he explained in a recent Associated Press interview, he thinks they are one aspect of a working movie industry eco-system.
What to Read Next
"There's always a balance in Hollywood between established titles that can assure a return in audience and give people more of what they want," he explained.
"That's always been a big part of the economics of Hollywood, and it pays for a lot of other types of films to be made and distributed. But there also always has to be respect for the audience's desire for something new.
Nolan continued: "That's one of the big thrills of going to the movies is, frankly, seeing a trailer for a movie you've never heard of or type of movie you haven't seen.
"A healthy ecosystem in Hollywood is about a balance between the two things and always has been."
Nolan's remarks follow criticism of superhero movies in particular from a number of filmmakers in recent years, with Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola and James Cameron among them.
Related: Oppenheimer's Christopher Nolan addresses James Bond rumours
Martin Scorsese has also been a critic of the genre, going as far as to compare Marvel movies to "theme park rides" – while acknowledging that he considers them to be "well made".
Responding to Scorsese and Coppola's critiques, Samuel L Jackson said: "All movies are valid. Some go to the cinema to be moved dearly. Some like superheroes."
In response to Tarantino's criticism that he felt the characters was effectively the stars in a superhero movie rather than actors themselves, Jackson said: "Okay, well it takes an actor to be those particular characters. And the sign of movie stardom has always been, what, arses in seats? What are we talking about?
"So, it's not a big controversy for me to know that, well, apparently, these actors are movie stars. You know, Chadwick Boseman is Black Panther. You can't refute that. And he's a movie star."
You Might Like...
Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.
