As The Rolling Stones once said: "You can't always get what you want." However, as the lyrics would go onto explain, you can get what you need. This is the example of Patty Jenkins, a quality filmmaker who had to wait through the disappointment of her Marvel snub before going onto helm DC's Wonder Woman - a title that few had any high hopes for, but is delivering the goods with the critics.
That missed opportunity for 2013's Thor: The Dark World would turn out to be a blessing in disguise as the Disney feature failed to leave a lasting impression. It was so forgettable even the man who beat her to the position in Alan Taylor admitted that the movie was well below par.
Now Jenkins has opened up about her plans for what Marvel ultimately passed on.
Right Director, Wrong Time For Jenkins-Marvel Partnership
Remaining humble despite being overlooked for the role, Jenkins recalled that the setback was hurtful but the timing was not right in any event. This is what the director said on the matter earlier in the week.
"I don’t think I could have made a good movie out of Thor 2 because I wasn’t the right director. And I don’t think I would have been in the running for Wonder Woman as a result. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m glad I didn’t do it. Because I could have made a great Thor if I could have done the story that I was wanting to do. But I don’t think I was the right person to make a great Thor out of the story they wanted to do... I was heartbroken. I was like 'oh, what a bummer.' But in retrospect it all makes sense."
PJ: My Movie Would Be A Space Love Story
Reports emerged that Jenkins was willing to take a big gamble on the creative vision of the Chris Hemsworth installment. It was intended to be a “Romeo-and-Juliet-esque space opera that hinged on the separation of Thor and Jane Foster.”
Talking to Indiewire, the director was not shy about the emotional trauma that the Taylor appointment caused.
“It was painful and sad because I really loved those guys and I loved the idea of us making a Thor together, but it’s one of those things," she remarked. "You have to make sure that the movie you want to make is fully the right movie for that studio too. It was heartbreaking, but I also knew that it was good… I knew that it was good because I didn’t think I could make a great film out of their script.”
For Jenkins, she knows that the lack of females behind the camera puts more emphasis on every win and failure on her CV.
“If I do it, and it’s what I think it’s gonna be, I can’t help the fact that it will represent women directors everywhere, and then that’s going to be bad for everybody… As heartbreaking as it was, I was also like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t do something I don’t believe in, in that big of a scale. I knew that that was going to set (not only) me back, but also women directors back.”
Wonder Woman opens June 2.
Source: Indiewire
Comments