Could having an established fandom for the franchise you’re working on actually be detrimental to your work?
“One of the biggest shifts in Star Wars history happened when the fans got control. That’s not how history would phrase it, but after Disney purchased the franchise, it was the first time people who grew up loving the films were finally given a chance to make them. While George Lucas was in charge, people like J.J. Abrams, Rian Johnson, and Jon Favreau weren’t given a shot. However, from the sequel trilogy forward, filmmaker fans like them were now steering the galaxy far, far, away.”
After making one of the most successful movies of all time in Titanic, James Cameron established an unprecedented level of creative freedom as a director.
“In an era of cinema where the blockbuster reigns supreme and most movies feel like a capital-e Event, there’s still only one true king of spectacle: James Cameron. He’s released two of the highest-grossing films of all time, and he didn’t need decades of comic book IP and years of cinematic universe building to do it. Sure, the Avatar movies are expensive and the amount of long-gestating sequels can seem baffling at times. But when you have a track record like that, you deserve a blank check–at least, that’s what Cameron himself thinks.”