Directors remain one of the most essential aspects of the film and television industry. Their vision guides and drives the cast and crew in creating some spectacular works of art.
Whether or not the auteur theory is true, directors have an enormous impact on how a film or show is made, and these 10 directors working today have arguably had the greatest influence on the industry.
James Gunn
In the past decade,James Gunnwent from directing schlocky B-movies to helming superhero blockbusters likeThe Suicide SquadandGuardians of the Galaxy, both of which proved to audiences that even the most obscure comic book characters could become successful pop culture icons.
And thanks to his surprising success as a filmmaker, Gunn earned himself a seat as the co-head of DC Films, where he now plans to bring a new Superman, along with countless other heroes and villains, to cinemas and TV screens in his own DC Universe.
Jordan Peele
The formerMadTVcast member revolutionized horror with his debut film,Get Out, which made him the first African-American to win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Peele has since continued to prove himself as a creative auteur with films likeUsandNope.
And with his work onBig Mouth, 2019’sThe Twilight Zone, 2021’sCandyman,Hunters, andLovecraft Country, Peele has shown that he is amongst the most versatile figures in Hollywood today.
Steven Spielberg
As the director of many revolutionary films such asJaws,E.T.,Jurassic Park,Schindler’s List, andRaiders of the Lost Ark,Steven Spielberghas long established himself as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, filmmakers of all time. Though his last two films weren’t box-office hits, the amount of acclaim they received proves that this legendary director has not lost his magic.
On top of that, he founded both Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks, two movie studios responsible for many other classic films over the years. He also founded the nonprofit Shoah Foundation to preserve and share testimonies about the Holocaust and other genocides, which have become only more necessary in this modern age.
Martin Scorsese
As the cinematic mind behindTaxi Driver,Raging Bull,Goodfellas, andThe Departed, Martin Scorsese has repeatedly excelled in exploring issues of crime, masculinity, and religion. But going beyond his string of crime films, Scorsese has also been renowned for underrated masterpieces likeHugoandSilence.
He recently took his talents to streaming withThe IrishmanandKillers of the Flower Moon, showing that this new age of cinema has not deterred nor depleted his passion for exceptional filmmaking. Additionally, he founded multiple nonprofits to preserve and restore film, such as The Film Foundation, The World Cinema Foundation, and the African Film Heritage Project.
Christopher Nolan
For two decades,Christopher Nolanhas wowed and baffled audiences with his classic but unconventional approach to filmmaking. The scope and ambition of his work, fromMementotoInceptiontoInterstellartoThe Dark Knight Trilogy, have blown the minds of just about everyone who experienced them.
Even today, with the release ofOppenheimer, Nolan’s movies continue to be highly-anticipated events that push the boundaries of what is possible in cinema.
Zack Snyder
Snyder rose up in Hollywood as the director of divisive but popular comic book movies like300,Watchmen, andMan of Steel. WhileBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justicedisappointed a lot of audiences, he received an extraordinary (but sometimes toxic) cult following after leaving the production ofJustice League.
This allowed him to finish his cut of the film, which, for better or worse, changed the perceived relationship between audiences and studios and briefly made him King of the Internet. Though audiences may never see DC’s Snyderverse go on as originally planned, the director continues to thrive on Netflix withArmy of the Deadand his upcoming sci-fi epic,Rebel Moon.
Guillermo del Toro
This man knows how to mix the magical with the monstrous. Guillermo del Toro is amongst the most distinctive directors in the business, having helmed many iconic monster movies likeBlade II, the Hellboy duology,Pan’s Labyrinth,Pacific Rim, andThe Shape of Water.
Likewise, del Toro executive produced many of DreamWorks’s animated classics and created Netflix’s hit series,Trollhunters. He also brought stop-motion animation back to the forefront withhis Oscar-winning version ofPinocchio.
Ava DuVernay
DuVernay has been one of the leading voices in sharing Black stories in Hollywood, having directed the Oscar-nominated filmSelma, the Netflix documentary13th, and the shows,When They See UsandColin in Black & White.
While her first blockbuster,A Wrinkle In Time, wasn’t so beloved by critics and audiences, she still became the first Black woman to direct a 100-million-dollar film. She also now serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Bong Joon-ho
Bong Joon-ho has long been one of the most unconventional but successful directors to come out of South Korea. With acclaimed hits such asMemories of Murder,The Host,Snowpiercer, andOkja, his creative influence has stretched far across the globe and brought greater attention to the works of his native land.
But it was his groundbreaking film,Parasite, that made him an international sensation, as it won him both the Palme d’Or and the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.
Greta Gerwig
Having started out as an actor in several small mumblecore films,Greta Gerwigtransitioned into directing with her breakout Oscar-nominated film,Lady Bird, which she followed with her acclaimed adaptation ofLittle Women.
Having just released her first blockbusterBarbie, which had the biggest debut for a woman director, Gerwig has proven herself capable of competing with a Hollywood heavyweight like Christopher Nolan on the big screen.
