He also isn’t a fan of the state of movies generally.
Image: Scott on the set of Alien: Covenant, 20th Century Fox
Speaking to Digital Spy, Ridley Scott explained why he’s turned down superhero movies:
Superhero movies are not my kind of thing — that’s why I’ve never really done one. [I’ve been asked] several times, but I can’t believe in the thin, gossamer tight-rope of the non-reality of the situation of the superhero.
I’ve done that kind of movie — Blade Runner really is a comic strip when you think about it, it’s a dark story told in an unreal world. You could almost put Batman or Superman in that world, that atmosphere, except I’d have a fucking good story, as opposed to no story!
You can’t really blame him for knowing that superhero movies aren’t really his thing, but you can sort of call into question the idea that Ridley Scott’s problem is how much suspension of disbelief is required to watch them. At least he acknowledged that Blade Runner is in a similar situation (and he took what has to be a shot at Batman v Superman while he was at it).
Although, Scott does then go on to say that it isn’t just superhero movies that aren’t his thing right now. Movies generally, he says, are “mainly pretty bad”. Which, OK, I wouldn’t necessarily agree there. Although, if he’s just talking about the ones that have made the most money, I could almost see where he’s coming from.
All that aside, the thing I’m left with is imagining which superhero movies he was asked to do and what they would have looked like. I think the funniest pairing in my head is Scott and Guardians of the Galaxy, but I’m open to suggestions.
This story originally appeared on Gizmodo Australia.
Comments
12 responses to “Ridley Scott Does Not Like The ‘Non-Reality’ Of Superhero Movies”
Oh yeah? Well Prometheus wasn’t that hot either, pal!
j/k
or not.
Yeah, glad you posted it so I didn’t have to. Scott has done some great movies, he’s also done some absolute stinkers. That said, there won’t be any more super hero movies <3 years imo. Hollywood will kill it for everyone as usual. Remember when everything was about vampire movies…etc etc
People have already been saying that years and yet the films keep stretching out across more and more genres and styles, making billions of dollars…. I don’t see them going away.
Also when were Vampire movies a big thing? Do you mean the Twilight craze because that was just one series aimed at teenage girls, not exactly comparable to a story element/sub-genre that’s been around in comics, film, TV, radio (let’s just say all media) since the 1930’s when Superman was first created and now spans a number of genres from generic action to fantasy/sci-fi.
The only real historical comparison to the current superhero film trend is Westerns and even then it’s not a great comparison as Westerns didn’t die purely due to oversaturation of the sub-genre. They also died because the vast majority were made to a pitiful budget/timeframe and they almost all existed in the pure action genre, never branching out from that tone – it’s like if all superhero movies were like Batman V Superman but on lower budgets then yeah, I’d agree that superhero movies were doomed but luckily we have a huge (ever expanding) variety of tones and themes so I just don’t see it happening anytime soon.
He is kind of right about Vampires…
There was Interview With a Vampire… then nothing for ages.. then a few Blade movies.. then nothing for ages.. then Twilight… and now nothing (for ages)
I’ll be honest, I still havent watched the end of that movie. When the power went out at the cinemas we got ticket vouchers… we went to see something else instead.
the majority of movies are garbage, hell the majority of everything is garbage. we only see the “best of the best” movies out of the thousands being constantly made and on the whole those are 50/50 at absolute best
see: sturgeon’s law
It’s true. Claypool et al’s groundbreaking study from the 90s observed a 9:1 ratio of nutsack to amiable sturgeon; expressed differently, sturgeons’ law implies nine tenths of all sturgeon are terrible fish.
Sounds more like he has a problem with superhero writers. Maybe he should find a good writer so there is a good story (in his opinion anyway, I’m guessing he thought Prometheus was a good story..)
I think he could make a great horror superhero film like the rumoured upcoming Justice League Dark
Wanna watch a good movie? – look up Mr Six – Mainland Chinese movie, well acted, well filmed, well presented. Just terrific
TV is so far above movies now I can barely count on one hand the decent films I’ve seen over the last few years.
Django Unchained… Deadpool… ?
That’s about it.
Gotta branch out. Mainstream Hollywood is trash, but there have been so many good films in the last few years that aren’t massive budgets and are happy to tell a smaller story.
Action films as a whole are almost completely terrible; a genre where directors / executives / stakeholders / focus test groups are forever asking “Can I?” instead of “Should I?”.
I know that this is a forum that probably won’t be receptive to this opinion, but superhero films like most of what Marvel has released since the formation of their new cinematic universe have been action CGI explosion trash for the lowest common denominator that utilises its limitless budgets and freedom to play it painfully safe.
i never want to see another superhero movie. Nauseatingly boring shite. I don’t care how ‘cleverly’ written they are.
But at the same time Ridley Scott has a lot to answer for. Gladiator… Robin Hood.