4 Directors Whose Careers Tragically Went Downhill After First Movie
These directors almost disappeared from Hollywood's radar.
In Hollywood, some movie directors kick off with a bang and just keep on rocking. But not everyone's that lucky. Some start off great (or not exactly great), but then things kinda go downhill. Here are four such directors whose careers took a tragic turn after their first movie.
Bo Welch's — The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Bo Welch, a renowned production designer and art director, has an impressive portfolio with several high-profile movies to his credit. He even bagged four Oscar nominations for his work.
However, his directorial debut with the live-action movie The Cat in the Hat in 2003 was a different story. This peculiar and unsettling film was met with harsh criticism, although it seems to have garnered a peculiar (likely ironic) cult following in recent years.
Post this, Welch's career took a slower pace, although he did direct Netflix 's TV series adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
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Walter Murch — Return To Oz (1985)
Walter Murch, a celebrated film editor, has worked on some of the most iconic movies, including The Conversation and Apocalypse Now. He also penned one of the most insightful books on film editing, In the Blink of an Eye.
However, his directorial venture, Return to Oz in 1985, didn't quite hit the mark. This unofficial sequel to The Wizard of Oz had some unsettling scenes that didn't sit well with the audience. Despite continuing his work as a film editor, Murch never directed a single movie since Return To Oz.
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Seth Gordon — The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
Seth Gordon made a remarkable debut with his 2007 video game documentary The King of Kong. However, his transition into narrative filmmaking was less than smooth.
His subsequent four films, all comedies, failed to impress critics. On a brighter note, Gordon found success in television, directing episodes of popular shows like Parks and Recreation, The Office, and Sneaky Pete.
Catherine Hardwicke — Thirteen (2003)
Catherine Hardwicke started her directorial career on a high note with her indie film Thirteen in 2003, which even won her an award at Sundance.
However, she hasn't been able to replicate that critical success since. While she does have a big box office hit, Twilight ( 2008), under her belt, her subsequent films never managed to live up to her debut movie, at least in terms of viewers’ reception.