Gareth Edwards – The Creator: “People say they're sick of franchises but…”

Meet the director of Rogue One, who is back with an original $80 million sci-fi film that is neither an adaptation nor linked to a franchise. An increasingly rare case in Hollywood…

This interview was originally published in issue 544 of Première (September 2023) on our online store.

We are sharing it again on the occasion of the rebroadcast of The Creatorthis Friday evening on Canal +.

FIRST: Gareth, where have you been since Rogue One ?

GARETH EDWARDS: Let's just say I needed a little break. I went on Godzilla And Rogue One without a single day of rest. I needed to stop and think about what I wanted to do next… I wrote three screenplays and developed three different films. Two fell through, one was financed, The Creator. These three projects, as different as they may be, all stemmed from the same desire, the same intellectual journey…

Which ?

It’s based on my career path. I started with a very low-budget sci-fi film, Monsters, then I moved on to two big Hollywood productions and while both experiences were exciting, I suddenly had the impression that there was a better way to make films. Combining the creative freedom of an independent film with the scale of a big production…

And is it possible?

The answer you will find in The Creator… Let’s just say that at that point in my career, the only thing that really excited me was to do something original. When I was growing up, almost every movie was “original.” That was the nature of filmmaking for me. Later, in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the sequels started coming in full force, and now we’re stuck in this universe of franchises and multiverses. Let me tell you a story. We had a meeting with Disney [qui distribue The Creator] When discussing the release date of the film, someone very high up in the studio asked whether it was better to release in 2024 or 2023. One of the participants then displayed on a big screen all the studio's releases for 2023 and another said out loud: “Hey, this is our only original film of 2023, the only one of our 'big' films that is not based on a book, a film or an intellectual property.” I left that meeting in shock, stunned by this realization.

This “originality” has almost become a publicity stunt for the film…

Ah ah ah, in a way, yes. It all depends on the public's desire. People tell you they're tired of franchise films but… Let's say that cinema is like politics, if you complain, go vote. Your vote is the ticket you buy!

It seems like there is almost an activist dimension to your approach.

I wouldn't go that far, though… After all… GodzillaI told myself that I would never do another franchise. I had made my Hollywood film, and now I wanted to develop my own thing. And then I got a phone call. “What do you mean, a Star Wars?” It was the only thing I couldn't refuse… When you are hired to make a Star Wars film, you feel like you have finally made it. You imagine that the sky will open, that there will be a giant rainbow, that you will ride a unicorn, that everyone will applaud and that life will be wonderful. Of course, it doesn't happen like that. You have certainly climbed a mountain, but nothing has really changed except the view. Then you start to wonder why you are doing this. I am 48 years old now, how many films do I have left to make? I wanted to put some meaning and a little of my sensitivity back into my work, to no longer confront myself with other people's worlds. To create my own world, my own personal storytelling. The CreatorI hope, describes this feeling a little.

The Creator, who has (already) seen will see [critique]

The last time we saw John David Washington, who plays the lead role in The Creatorin a big Hollywood movie, it was in Teneta 100% original film too. Do you think it's a coincidence?

I don't want to speak for him, but I would say that John is very careful about the films he chooses. He's very selective and I think he has really good taste. (Laughs.) Look at his filmography! And he's a very funny person, very sincere and a real big science fiction fan. The first time I met him, we had to wear masks because of the pandemic. And I see him show up with a Star Wars mask on his face. I thought, “Wow, that's weird, he did that because I directed Rogue One ? What message is he trying to send me? » Some time later, he confessed to me that he had been horribly hesitant to wear that mask in front of me that day. Except that since the beginning of the pandemic, he had worn nothing but Star Wars masks. He had simply chosen to present himself as he was…

Gareth Edwards denies rumours of chaotic Rogue One filming