45 years ago, Steven Spielberg predicted Hollywood’s next crop of elite directors: was he right?
45 years ago, Steven Spielberg was one of Hollywood’s elite directors, with Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Raiders of the Lost Ark easily compensating for the rare blip that was the ill-judged 1941.
Today, Steven Spielberg is still one of Hollywood’s elite directors, so nothing much has changed. There aren’t many names who were in that position in the early 1980s that are still in that top-tier bracket, though, with the list extending to Martin Scorsese and… that’s pretty much it. That just goes to show how difficult it is for a filmmaker to not only establish themselves as one of the industry’s foremost auteurs but to stay there for decades.
It’s about the most rarefied directorial air there is, with the intervening period littered by countless ‘next big things’ who fell into the ether. Back then, Spielberg laid down a marker, naming a handful of prospective candidates who had the potential to define the next generation of American cinema and beyond. How did he fare? Not too bad, actually, even if some of his predictions were much wider of the mark than the rest.
Even though Heaven’s Gate had already been released, he anointed Michael Cimino as having the talent to become the second coming of David Lean, which carries even more weight from Spielberg, who idolised the Lawrence of Arabia mastermind since his youth. Did it come to pass? In short, no, it did not.
Cimino’s career was effectively over after he inadvertently killed ‘New Hollywood’, but he was onto something when he suggested that Used Cars’ Robert Zemeckis would “break through,” since he went on to helm the Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, and more.
Dragonslayer‘s Matthew Robbins? Batteries Not Included was as high as he flew, and he hasn’t directed a feature since 1991. Robert Towne? As a director, he never cut the mustard, but he found great success as a screenwriter and script doctor, working with everyone from Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson to Michael Bay and Tony Scott.
Hugh Hudson? His debut feature, Chariots of Fire, turned out to be the apex of his career. Spielberg did suggest that both Ridley Scott and John Carpenter “will get there,” and he can’t be faulted for that. The former is still going strong as a top-level director, and while the latter might be retired, he exited as one of his generation’s most influential voices.
Besides Conan the Barbarian, John Milius did not “have his breakthrough someday” as Spielberg predicted, but Mad Max creator George Miller did craft one of cinema’s all-time great franchises, among his other accomplishments. Alan Parker weaved between genres for years while winning consistent acclaim, and “this guy Michael Mann” did alright after announcing himself with Thief.
All things considered, his predictions weren’t bad. Zemeckis, Scott, Carpenter, Miller, Parker, and Mann all built stellar filmographies, won legions of fans, helmed at least one undisputed classic apiece, and most of them enjoyed some modicum of awards season recognition or success. On the other hand, Cimino, Robbins, Towne, Hudson, and Milius fell behind as the ’80s progressed, all while Spielberg remained on top of the pile.
