Director James Mangold Hopes LOGAN Will Open Up Comic Book Films to Risk and Experimentation
Logan is still seeing a lot of success at the box office. I've seen it twice already, and I'll probably see it at least one more time before it leaves theaters. It's just such a great and powerful cinematic experience.
While talking to CB, Mangold opened up about the film and expressed his hopes that its success will encourage other studios to take risks and experiment with other comic book films. He says:
"Honestly, what I'd love this movie to open the door for is continued experimentation. Not someone saying, "This is what must be done every time.' The film makers are allowed to take on these projects and instead of making a movie that can be cut seamlessly to the last movie and no one will see the difference, that the film makers and the actors are allowed to express themselves. I think where things have gotten a bit stale the last five or six years is everyone movies somehow need to look the same. And partly, it's not just the studios, the fans and even the press, have created this cottage industry around busting anyone who does anything different... If you were in the restaurant business and you busted everyone every time they cooked a scallop or a steak or a piece of asparagus differently than the last guy, you would stop having good food, real soon.
"I sometimes think about, if someone says, 'Go ahead and sleep in this bed but don't move the pillow and don't move the covers that you don't even dream. You don't fall asleep. You don't dream.'
"The reality is that people need to make a decision whether they want a TV show, The world's most expensive TV show and star directors and actors to come in and be part of this TV show or whether they want people to extend themselves. Take risks every picture and see how different directors and actors interpreting these iconic roles that are a part of our culture change with different voices. And I think that for too long... If there was anything I hope we'd be like part of changing would be just saying, 'Shake it up. Let go.' And that example was created even in the comic book world. New artists would from would come on, from Frank Miller to Jim Krueger to the Neil Gaiman to on and on it goes.
"That artist would change and the sagas would change and the looks would change and the uniforms and costume would change. And the back stories would get altered. Lois Lane seemed perpetually 30 years old for 58 years and it didn't bother anyone. That people loved living in different interpretations of this world and somehow this idea of creating an impenetrably perfect universe got created and valued to the extent of every thing else. To the expense of everything else. And I think that if we were of any influence I don't think it should be that just every movie should be rated R. It's that every movie should be whatever way that particular story and characters. Create an interesting dream for the film makers and actors involved."
I 100% agree with Mangold! I would love to see the other studios like Marvel and DC start taking more risks with the comic book films they make. Marvel is currently in a groove that they aren't breaking away from anytime soon. They have a formula that is working, but how much better could their films be if they broke that formula and surprised fans with something totally different. I believe they taking more risks and experimenting with their Netflix series. It might be jarring at first in the films, but what if it turned out better than what they've been doing?
As for DC and Warner Bros., they are still in the process of getting a handle on their DCEU films, so they are totally in a place to take more risks and experiment, which I think they are actually doing by making films like Suicide Squad and Gotham City Sirens, as they are films that focus on villains.
I think Hollywood in general really needs to start shaking things up, taking risks, and experimenting on original film projects. Right now it's just a world of remakes, reboots, and sequels.