Film directors are imaginative story tellers. In order to bring their stories to the big screen, they control a film’s artistic and dramatic aspects.
They give direction to the cast and crew in the fulfillment of their visions, but they must communicate with each other effectively too.
Amount of collaborations: 3
How did it begin:
David Fincher made his feature directorial debut through the 3rd instalment of Ridley Scott’s “Alien” franchise. Unfortunately, the movie was not very well-received by fans and critics.
Little did he know, he’d rise to international fame through his next feature film, “Seven”, in 1995. The film also marked his first time working with Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt.
What happened after their first collaboration:
In the past 2 decades, Fincher and Pitt have only collaborated for 3 films. However, they were all extremely memorable, giving us high quality cinematic experiences.
All of their films were not only met with both commercial and critical success, but also turned Fincher into renowned director in Hollywood. Fincher’s “Fight Club”, which was released in 1999, is considered one of the most iconic movies of all time. It also highlighted Pitt’s acting chops, which were often underestimated by critics.
They later came along with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008), where Pitt plays a man who ages in reverse. The film received 13 Academy Award nominations and won 3 for “Best Art Direction”, “Best Makeup”, and “Best Visual Effects”.
8. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks
Amount of collaborations: 4 (excluding the 2 mini-series that they co-produced)
How did it begin:
Steven Spielberg is considered as one of the most influential directors as well as the founding pioneers of the new Hollywood era. However, he did not launch his successful directing career by working with Tom Hanks.
It was not only until the 90s when he started working with Hanks, who would also appear in his subsequent critically-acclaimed feature films including 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can” and 2004’s “The Terminal”.
What happened after their first collaboration:
Excluding the 2 miniseries that they have co-produced, the pair have collaborated on 4 features so far.
“Saving Private Ryan” received universal critical acclaim and won several awards for film, cast, and crew. It also earned significant returns at the box office. Hanks later starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in “Catch Me If You Can”, an American biographical crime drama film based on the life of famous con artist Frank Abagnale. It was a financial and critical success and the real Abagnale even reacted positively to it
“The Terminal” received mixed reviews from critics despite performing relatively well at the box office. Their latest collaborative effort is “Bridge of Spies“, which was recently released this month.
Honourable Mentions:
- The Coen Brothers and Frances McDorman/Josh Brolin/George Clooney
- Guy Ritchie and Mark Strong
- Steven Soderbergh and Matt Damon
- Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
- Joe Wright and Keira Knightley
- Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst
- Ron Howard and Tom Hanks
- Paul Thomas Anderson and Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender
- Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor
- Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell
- Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy
Now, we’re pretty sure that we’ve left out a few amazing director-actor pairings. Do you have a personal favourite that you’d like us to add to the above list?
Share with us in the comments box below!
Sources: Vulture, The Arts Guild.
