Throughout his career, Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins has proven himself as a vital voice on the arthouse scene. It may be surprising, then, that his next project is the Disney sequel Mufasa. At first, the link between Jenkins’ intimate character studies and The Lion King origin story may not be immediately clear. Upon closer inspection, they share common themes.
In Medicine for Melancholy (2008), Moonlight (2016) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Jenkins spins emotionally resonant narratives detailing complex family dynamics against backdrops of racial prejudice. Mufasa (2024) is the story of a king, but at its heart it’s also about family, struggle and adversity – themes that Jenkins frequently returns to.
Indie filmmakers must be resourceful, innovative and distinctive to make their work stand out. So how do filmmakers who have honed their craft on a microbudget adapt to the mainstream? And what do their indie sensibilities bring to the world of the blockbuster? Ahead of Mufasa, we take a look at other indie filmmakers’ first forays into big-ticket movies.
GRETA GERWIG – BARBIE (2023)
The live-action Barbie film went through countless iterations before finding its home in indie darling Greta Gerwig’s capable hands. The filmmaker – who got her start in the mumblecore movement making low-key, dialogue-driven movies on a microbudget like Nights and Weekends (2008) and Frances Ha (2012) – was handpicked by producer-star Margot Robbie to take on the project.
Barbie seemed an odd choice for Gerwig when it was first reported, but in hindsight it is quite a natural fit since its screenplay, which she co-wrote with Noah Baumbach, continues her usual fascination with female coming-of-age. Her directorial debut, A24’s Lady Bird (2017), focuses on the tragicomedy of teenage girlhood in 2002 Sacramento, while her first big studio movie, Sony’s Little Women (2019), taps into this idea in 1860s Massachusetts.
In much the same vein, Gerwig’s Barbie sees the famous doll undergo an existential crisis; she battles with her death drive and eventually chooses human womanhood over plastic perfection. Levelling up with Fifties-inspired dance numbers while staying true to her style, Gerwig crafted an era-defining blockbuster that became the first female-directed film to break a billion dollars at the box office.
ALFONSO CUARÓN – HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (2004)
After watching Y tu mamá también (2001), producer David Heyman knew Alfonso Cuarón would be the perfect director for the next Harry Potter instalment. Heyman saw a throughline between the films, explaining, ‘Y tu mamá también was about the last moments of being a teenager, and Azkaban was about the first.’
Cuarón steeped the wizarding world in a sense of dread, doom and heightened reality, reflecting the real-world issues that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were set to face in Azkaban. Cuarón was an instrumental guide for the three leads as they tackled more intricate and complex on-screen roles. Daniel Radcliffe credits the director with imbuing the film with a depth and darkness that coloured the rest of the franchise.
PAUL GREENGRASS – THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004)
Paul Greengrass began his career as a journalist before directing docudramas. His first two films, The Murder of Stephen Lawrence (1999) and Bloody Sunday (2002), were lauded for their authenticity and dedication to even-handed yet unflinching storytelling. He then carved himself a niche by oscillating between small indies and the high-octane Bourne series.
After Doug Liman left the franchise, Greengrass stepped in to direct The Bourne Supremacy (2004). The sequel was a hit, praised for the sense of immediacy that came from its vérité style and jittery camerawork. Greengrass continued to balance Bourne sequels with smaller, more personal films. Between his first and second Bourne, he won a Best Director BAFTA for United 93 (2006), his arresting, real-time 9/11 thriller.
LEE CRONIN – EVIL DEAD RISE (2023)
Irish director Lee Cronin proved his talent for horror with his first feature The Hole in the Ground (2019), an unsettling and artfully suspenseful folk horror about the traumas of parenting. For his sophomore film, Cronin was handed the reins to the iconic Evil Dead franchise. Evil Dead Rise (2023) is a thrillingly gory and inventively shocking journey through hell that pleases longtime fans and newcomers alike. Cronin was heralded for his ability to craft gruesome scares while telling a story that carried the franchise forward without deviating from its lore. Cronin has shown that, whatever the budget, he can deliver.
TAIKA WAITITI – THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)
In his early career, Waititi steadily wrote and directed witty and affecting comedy dramas that were popular in his native New Zealand. It wasn’t until he and Jermaine Clement released their crowdfunded vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows (2014), that he found international success.
Waititi joked that his first foray into Marvel occurred simply because ‘[he] was poor’, but since Thor: Ragnarok (2017), he has worked consistently within the studio system. Some filmmakers have lamented that working on blockbusters diluted their vision, but Waititi’s style and wit shine though in Thor: Ragnarok, and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). He now dabbles in mid- and large-budget films without sacrificing his distinctive voice and sense of humour.
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN – BATMAN BEGINS (2005)
Before he was a household name, Christopher Nolan was immersed in the indie scene. His first feature, Following (1998) – which he wrote, directed and shot – is a small-scale neo-noir thriller about an anonymous man drawn into a criminal underworld. The budget was so low that Nolan could not afford a lighting kit, and had to pay for the film stock himself.
His first blockbuster, Batman Begins, caused a stir. The director grounded it in gritty realism, blurring the lines between Gotham and our world. He lifted the heightened characters from the comic books and sank them into a dark reality with intricate storylines, complex motivations and atmospheric set pieces akin to those you’d find in a hyperrealistic thriller. Since then, Nolan has committed to bigger budgets, lending his intelligent and innovative storytelling exclusively to blockbusters.
JAMES GUNN – THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)
A meteorite crashes into Earth, unleashing an extraterrestrial parasite in James Gunn’s directorial debut Slither (2006), a masterful blend of B-movie horror and comedy. His follow-up, Super (2010), combined superheroes and dark comedy, positioning Gunn as the perfect director for Marvel’s quirkiest outing: The Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Working with a mega budget for the first time meant that Gunn could design and create a fun-filled world lifted from the popular comics. He blended nostalgia and modernity with an Eighties soundtrack, and guided Chris Pratt to a stellar performance as Star-Lord. Gunn continued to exercise his penchant for adding humour to superhero narratives with the Guardians sequels, as well as The Suicide Squad (2021). Now Gunn’s the chairman and CEO of DC Studios, meaning creative oversight on all the films in its stable.
PETER JACKSON – THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001-2003)
Before he was one of our most beloved studio directors, Peter Jackson spent every weekend for four years shooting his self-funded sci-fi horror Bad Taste (1987). He even crafted the latex masks in his mother’s kitchen. The hard work paid off when it became a cult classic, and Jackson worked in the indie horror space for the next decade.
In 1998, Jackson pitched to bring his favourite literary series to the screen: The Lord of the Rings. He was adamant that there should be one film per book and a single director with a clear vision for all three. Jackson faced pushback, as the budget was $280 million and the risks were very high, but he remained steadfast and went on to produce three beautifully epic love letters to Tolkien’s great works. Years later, Jackson returned to Middle Earth to adapt The Hobbit books.
DENIS VILLENEUVE – DUNE (2021)
Much like Jackson, Denis Villeneuve was given the chance to adapt a book he loved as a child. Frank Herbert’s Dune has famously been difficult to adapt, but Dune: Parts 1 (2021) and 2 (2024) were a passion project for Villeneuve. With a combined budget of over $300 million, no expense was spared in crafting the universe that Villeneuve had wanted to see as a young fan.
Before Dune, Villeneuve developed an impressive oeuvre of work that saw his budgets steadily rise while the style and emotional resonance never wavered. He began with Québécois indie dramas before moving onto dark, unsettling thrillers such as Prisoners (2013). Having proven his ability to keep the audience on a knife’s edge, Villeneuve shifted to character-driven sci-fi Arrival (2016) before taking on Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and proving his ability to elevate popular IP.
Throughout his career, Villeneuve repeated stately that Dune would be his ideal project, and thankfully in 2021, Dune premiered at Venice International Film Festival to rapturous reviews.
COLIN TREVORROW – JURASSIC WORLD (2015)
Sometimes producers hire an indie director to bring something fresh and unexpected to a franchise. Colin Trevorrow was best known for his whimsical time-travel comedy Safety Not Guaranteed (2012). This low-key mumblecore comedy is at turns comic, tragic and transcendental, and stars Aubrey Plaza as a disillusioned journalist who agrees to accompany Mark Duplass on a time-travel mission. Trevorrow cited the ‘completely different style of filming’ required for Jurassic World, but he was able to adapt to the larger scale and bring his light humorous touch to the mythical dinosaur park.
Chloé ZHAO – ETERNALS (2021)
After years of grafting as an indie director, Chloé Zhao suddenly found success. She won the Best Director Oscar for her breakout film, the itinerant outsider drama Nomadland (2020), which also picked up Best Picture and Actress. In a surprise turn of events, Zhao’s next project was Marvel’s Eternals (2021), where she worked with heavy CGI, millions of dollars and an all-star cast including Angelina Jolie and Harry Styles.
Out of the spotlight, Zhao had premiered her first film Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015) at Sundance before she met horse trainer Brady Jandreau. Zhao was sure that he was a star and wrote The Rider (2017) for him, hoping that he could also act. The film was self-funded, with Zhao using Walmart LED strips for her lighting set-up and non-professional actors exclusively from the Pine Ridge Reservation.
PATTY JENKINS – WONDER WOMAN (2017)
In 2003, Patty Jenkins caused a stir with her chilling yet tender portrait of a killer in Monster (2003). Charlize Theron earned an Oscar for her performance, while Jenkins, hailed as one to watch, found herself attached to a number of projects. When these unfortunately fell through, Jenkins threw herself into television and directed episodes of popular shows such as Arrested Development (2003-2019) and Entourage (2004-2011).
Jenkins returned to film with the highly anticipated Wonder Woman (2017). Motivated by her lifelong love of the heroine, she was adamant that her Wonder Woman, played by Gal Godot, would avoid cliché by embodying power and softness, strength and vulnerability. Jenkins brought emotional depth and complexity to the superhero, pulling on her father’s experience as a war veteran to create a layered, feminist blockbuster.
DAVID AYER – SUICIDE SQUAD (2016)
He may have written for The Fast and the Furious franchise (2001-), but prior to Suicide Squad, David Ayer was a full-blown indie director. Kicked out of his home at 16, Ayer cites his experiences as a youth in South Central Los Angeles, and his stint in the navy, as the inspiration for his debut feature Harsh Times (2008). Ayer continued to make LA-set crime films until 2014’s Fury. Set in a World War II tank, it’s a Brad Pitt-fronted chamber piece that allowed Ayer to show what he could do.
DC took notice of Ayer – and his knack for tension-fuelled action sequences – and contracted him to direct the star-studded Suicide Squad. After transferring his experience and passion for veterans and police to a criminal gang, Ayer has continued working with larger budgets while branching out into new genres.
LEE ISAAC CHUNG – TWISTERS (2024)
Lee Chung exclusively directed understated character studies after his 2005 debut Sex and Coffee. His breakout film Minari (2020) is a tender portrait of a first-generation Korean couple struggling with their family towards the American Dream. For the script, Chung drew from his own experience of moving to the US as a child.
When Chung announced his next project would be a sequel to Twister (1996), many were baffled by this sharp turn in his trajectory. On closer inspection, Twisters, much like Minari, pulls on a great deal of personal experience for Chung. The director grew up on a small farm in Arkansas where he faced the trauma and devastation of tornadoes first hand. Having majored in ecology at college, Chung rooted the film in environmental science. Though the biggest character in the film is the extreme weather, Chung placed the human characters’ emotional arcs front and centre.
CATE SHORTLAND – BLACK WIDOW (2021)
With such a diverse filmography, Cate Shortland is a difficult filmmaker to pigeonhole. The Australian director made a name for herself with poignant coming-of-ager Somersault (2004) and crime drama The Silence (2006). Following a diversion into TV, Shortland made Lore (2012), a sensuous and intimate portrait of the collapse of Nazi Germany through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl. Next came a masterful descent into obsession with Berlin Syndrome (2017).
At the same time, Scarlett Johansson and Kevin Feige were searching for a director to helm Black Widow, a standalone film for the female Avenger. Shortland’s credentials attracted a host of actors new to the Marvel franchise, including Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz and David Harbour. Though the pandemic undercut the box office, Black Widow told Natasha Romanoff’s origin story with high-octane action sequences, resulting in a stellar, huge-scale movie with a rare sense of intimacy.
