10 Surprising Movie Director Choices That Massively Paid Off (2024)

The studio executives of Hollywood have occasionally hired a particular director to helm a movie which, at the time, seemed like a strange choice. However, in some cases, the risk massively paid off when the movie then debuted to wild critical acclaim and box office profits. Hiring a director who has had success with movies of a similar genre is the safest approach, but a lesser-known name or someone with completely contrasting experience might still have the unique vision and narrative ideas that will make the movie an even bigger hit.

It is always a point of pride to be able to bet on someone no one else would have and watch them defy everyone’s expectations. Additionally, hiring someone who has made too many similar movies before can be a bad thing; it runs the risk of the final product being a generic carbon copy of dozens of movies that came before it. Finally, many unexpected director choices are associated with beloved movie franchises, where their task was even more difficult due to audience expectations.

10 Peter Jackson - The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)

Little-known horror director hired for a monumental literary fantasy epic.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

PG-13

Action

Fantasy

Adventure

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first film in Peter Jackson's critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movie follows Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) as he is tasked with destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom after he inherits the ring.

Director

Peter Jackson

Release Date

December 19, 2001

Writers

Fran Walsh , Philippa Boyens , Peter Jackson

Cast

Elijah Wood , Ian McKellen , Liv Tyler , Viggo Mortensen , Sean Astin , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Orlando Bloom , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , Sean Bean , Ian Holm , Andy Serkis

Runtime

178 Minutes

Previous attempts to capture the scale of The Lord of the Rings on-screen had proved to be unsuccessful when New Line Cinema took a chance on a little-known horror director to lead what would become the biggest fantasy movie franchise ever seen. Peter Jackson’s experience in horror doubtlessly benefited the depiction of the monsters in Lord of the Rings, including the Nazgûl, Shelob, and Gollum. However, the studio executives ultimately lucked out when it came to choosing a director who was organized and had the best vision for the epic fantasy.

Few directors at the time had the experience of filming a movie with as big of a production as Lord of the Rings, because few, if any, movies that came before it were as big. Jackson had the perfect sense of the fantasy setting he was working with, as well as when to call something good enough and when to keep revising it. As the director, Jackson would have overseen the finalized versions of groundbreaking CGI or encouraged the VFX artists to keep working to make it better.

9 Francis Lawrence - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

One-time blockbuster director with inconsistent experience takes over the biggest Hollywood franchise at the time.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

PG-13

Action

Sci-Fi

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The second entry into the Hunger Games film franchise and based on Suzanne Collins' book of the same name, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire picks up shortly after the events of the first film. Returning home to District 12 after their victory at the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) begin to sense an imminent rebellion against the oppressive Capitol.

Director

Francis Lawrence

Release Date

November 1, 2013

Writers

Francis Lawrence , Jennifer Lawrence

Cast

Jennifer Lawrence , Josh Hutcherson , Sam Claflin

Runtime

2h 26m

The Hunger Games movie franchise started things off under the command of Gary Ross, who directed a strong flagship movie that captured the visuals and themes of its source material. Many would have expected Ross to stick with the role of director — but the next movie, and every subsequent Hunger Games installment, would be directed by Francis Lawrence. At the time, Lawrence had extensive experience directing music videos, while his biggest Hollywood titles were the average drama Water for Elephants and the divisive blockbuster I Am Legend.

If Ross were no longer interested, The Hunger Games would likely have attracted several massively successful directors due to being the pop culture phenomenon of the moment. Lawrence was a somewhat underwhelming choice. However, he proved that he had the best understanding of the Hunger Games books and how to adapt them, and became the regular director the franchise needed to have a consistent tone.

8 Matt Reeves - Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)

The biggest franchise comeback of the decade passed to a rising action director.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Drama

Sci-Fi

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A decade after a deadly virus decimates humanity, a burgeoning society of intelligent apes, led by Caesar, finds its peaceful existence threatened by a group of human survivors who stumble upon their sanctuary. As both sides grapple with fear and mistrust, Caesar works to broker peace despite growing hostilities. The tension escalates, leading to a dramatic clash that will determine the future of both species.

Director

Matt Reeves

Release Date

July 11, 2014

Writers

Mark Bomback , Rick Jaffa , Amanda Silver

Cast

Gary Oldman , Keri Russell , Andy Serkis , Jason Clarke

Runtime

130 Minutes

Like with The Hunger Games, the new series of Planet of the Apes movies was initiated by a director who did not stick around for the sequel. Rupert Wyatt was also an underdog director who did the impossible. With little mainstream experience, he revitalized a franchise that had been struggling for some time. However, with many of the worst Planet of the Apes movies coming right before Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it is not impossible to believe that studios were willing to take a chance on a little-known director when the more acclaimed ones would likely have turned down the project.

On the other hand, Matt Reeves was put in charge of a franchise that had recently made a massive comeback and tasked with maintaining quality in the sequel. At the time, Reeves had directed numerous TV episodes and one vampire action movie. However, he demonstrated with his two Planet of the Apes movies his talent for gritty action blockbusters with serious themes, leading to him working on The Batman and The Batman Part II.

7 Andrew Adamson For The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005)

Beloved children's fantasy literary franchise helmed by the director of Shrek.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

PG

Adventure

Fantasy

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Four siblings travel through a wardrobe to the magical land of Narnia, which they are destined to save from the evil White Witch.

Director

Andrew Adamson

Release Date

December 9, 2005

Writers

Ann Peaco*ck , Andrew Adamson , Christopher Markus , Stephen McFeely

Cast

William Moseley , Anna Popplewell , Skandar Keynes , Georgie Henley , Tilda Swinton , James McAvoy , Jim Broadbent , Liam Neeson

Runtime

143 Minutes

To direct Hollywood’s next epic fantasy series — one characterized by being the longtime peer and rival of Lord of the Rings — Disney opted for Andrew Adamson, whose filmography at the time was Shrek and Shrek 2. Shrek showcases an entirely different type of fantasy than The Chronicles of Narnia, one which is ironic and deconstructs childhood fairy tales rather than romanticizing them with a nostalgic fondness. Shrek also would have posed an entirely different set of technical challenges, primarily concerning the then-very new use of 3D animation.

This announcement would have left audiences wondering if Adamson could handle a large-scale live-action production. The answer turned out to be “yes,” and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is still considered the best Narnia movie. While Adamson’s only other Narnia movie, Prince Caspian, features some divisive writing choices, it still upholds the grandeur and production quality of its predecessor.

6 Brad Bird For Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

Famous Pixar director transitions to the quintessential live-action espionage blockbuster.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

PG-13

Action

Adventure

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The fourth film in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, is an action-thriller film set years after the events of Mission: Impossible 3. It sees Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) see themselves falsely accused of a crime. Following a terrorist attack on the Kremlin, the IMF is implicated in the attack, forcing the government to disavow knowledge of them. To clear their names and find the true culprit, the United States initiates the "Ghost Protocol," forcing them all to go off the grid with no support to solve the case.

Director

Brad Bird

Release Date

December 15, 2011

Writers

Christopher McQuarrie

Cast

Tom Cruise , Paula Patton , Simon Pegg , Jeremy Renner

Runtime

2h 13m

After making an understated entry into Hollywood with The Iron Giant, Brad Bird cemented his place in the industry as one of the names at the forefront of Pixar. He is the creative mind behind some of Pixar's best movies, including The Incredibles and Ratatouille. While The Incredibles demonstrates the influences of classic espionage thrillers such as James Bond and Mission: Impossible, most people would not have assumed this made Bird qualified to direct a Mission: Impossible movie himself.

Bird was surprisingly named the director of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, which came to be considered as one of the best Mission: Impossible movies. This was Bird's live-action debut, for which he oversaw some of Tom Cruise's most insane stunts that would become characteristic of the franchise. The only other live-action movie Bird has directed since is Tomorrowland, but it would be interesting to see what else he could do with blockbusters of this genre.

5 Alfonso Cuarón For Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

Director of mature Spanish-language dramas takes over family blockbuster franchise still establishing itself.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

pg-13

Adventure

Family

Fantasy

Mystery

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) is the third film in the Harry Potter film series. Based on the 1999 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling, the film was directed by Alfonso Cuarón, with a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The movie stars Daniel Radcliffe in the title role, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, who play his best friends, Ron and Hermione. The film follows Harry's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and his attempt to solve the mystery of his connection to Sirius Black, played by Gary Oldman, who recently escaped from Azkaban prison.

Director

Alfonso Cuarón

Release Date

May 31, 2004

Writers

J.K. Rowling , Steve Kloves

Cast

Gary Oldman , David Thewlis , Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Robbie Coltrane , Timothy Spall , Maggie Smith , Michael Gambon , Richard Griffiths , Fiona Shaw , Alan Rickman

Runtime

144 Minutes

At the time of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’s production, Alfonso Cuarón’s most recent movie was the road-trip drama And Your Mother Too. The small-time director had spent his career so far alternating between Spanish and English-language movies, with his most well-known title at that point likely being A Little Princess. He was doubtlessly a strange choice to inherit Harry Potter from the legendary Chris Columbus. However, Cuarón’s take on Harry Potter is the most stylized movie of the franchise that still stands out as a short-lived highlight decades later.

Prisoner of Azkaban features several of Cuarón’s signature long takes and a recurring clock motif that emphasizes the book’s theme of time running out for the main characters. Cuarón is credited with multiple additions to the Harry Potter movies that give the world texture, including the Hogwarts student choir and the more casual versions of the school uniforms. This movie proved that Cuarón’s aptitude for tense, eloquent storytelling translated well into fantasy and sci-fi, possibly leading to movies like Gravity and Children of Men — however, he is still known for several slice-of-life dramas.

4 Martin Scorsese For Hugo (2011)

Legendary American crime director leads a family-friendly book adaptation set in France.

Hugo

PG

Adventure

Documentary

Drama

Family

Mystery

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Based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, Hugo follows the titular character, a young boy living alone in a train station in Paris. While working to restore an automaton found by his late father, Hugo becomes involved in a mystery surrounding the automaton and filmmaker Georges Méliès. Asa Butterfield stars as Hugo, with Chloë Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Jude Law as part of the main cast.

Director

Martin Scorsese

Release Date

November 22, 2011

Writers

John Logan , Brian Selznick

Cast

Sacha Baron Cohen , Jude Law , Ben Kingsley , Ray Winstone , Emily Mortimer , Christopher Lee , Asa Butterfield , Chloe Grace Moretz

Runtime

126 minutes

Martin Scorsese was well established as one of the penultimate directors of a generation by the 2010s for his lengthy crime epics that form a cynical compendium of American history. He is a director that few people would bet against — but his taking on the movie adaptation of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret was still startling. Hugo’s tone is more whimsical and family-friendly than anything else Scorsese has done, and a stark departure from his usual expeditions into American history, substituted with the Parisian setting and history of French cinema.

No fans of Hugo Cabret need have worried, as Scorsese produced a visually stunning movie that conveyed a similar grandiose feel, despite the drastically different story. Hugo did not break Scorsese’s streak at the Oscars, securing a Best Picture nominee. After this abrupt genre change, Scorsese returned to his crime dramas with The Wolf of Wall Street, The Irishman, and Killers of the Flower Moon.

3 Wes Anderson For Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Indie film star directs an adaptation of a famous Roald Dahl book.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

PG

Family

Comedy

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Based on the Roald Dahl children's book, Fantastic Mr. Fox tells the story of the titular fox, his thieving spree, and the three farmers who seek revenge on him for the thefts.

Director

Wes Anderson

Release Date

November 13, 2009

Writers

Wes Anderson , Noah Baumbach

Cast

George Clooney , Meryl Streep , Jason Schwartzman , Bill Murray , Willem Dafoe , Owen Wilson

Runtime

87minutes

While his most famous movies were still in the future, Wes Anderson was still a praised indie director by the mid-2000s. Following the 2005 live-action adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, those in possession of the rights to Roald Dahl's works at the time opted for a different approach with an animated Fantastic Mr. Fox directed by Anderson. Whatever doubts audiences and Roald Dahl fans may have had, Anderson's sharp humor and colorful, off-beat vision turned out to be perfect for this story.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox movie is characterized by elements of absurdity and randomness that aren't present in the book, making it a near-flawless adaptation that stands out in its own right. While Anderson would go on to direct movies like Moonrise Kingdom and The French Dispatch, Hollywood realized the chord they had struck with the director's aptitude for animation. Anderson's filmography now also notably includes the Oscar-nominated Isle of Dogs.

2 Sam Mendes For Skyfall (2012)

American Beauty Oscar-winning director takes over James Bond.

Skyfall

PG-13

Action

Thriller

Drama

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The twenty-third entry in Eon's James Bond franchise, Skyfall follows Bond (Daniel Craig) as he investigates a series of attacks on the MI6 agency. His investigation puts him in the sights of the villainous Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), an ex-MI6 operative who has since turned to a life of cyberterror. With his own personal axe to grind, Bond must stop Silva before he destroys MI6 entirely.

Director

Sam Mendes

Release Date

November 9, 2012

Writers

John Logan , Robert Wade , Neal Purvis

Cast

judi dench , Ralph Fiennes , Naomie Harris , Helen McCrory , Javier Bardem , Daniel Craig , Ben Whishaw

Runtime

2h 23m

Sam Mendes was also already a highly acclaimed director when he got the foremost job for Skyfall. He won the Oscar for Best Director for the Best Picture-winning American Beauty; a decade after this, he made a strong return with another Oscar contender, Revolutionary Road. Despite relatively few major projects in a long period, Mendes was a reliable director — for smaller-scale personal dramas, leaving people surprised when he was tapped for the next James Bond movie.

This was coupled with Mendes being responsible for the follow-up to Quantum of Solace, one of the worst-reviewed titles of the Daniel Craig era. Not unlike Peter Jackson, Mendes luckily turned out to be capable of handling a bigger production, with a good eye for action and effects, using his previous experience with thematically complicated movies to elevate Skyfall’s story. Skyfall is one of the best Craig Bond movies, while Mendes has been hired for other big-budget pictures, such as 1917.

1 Greta Gerwig For Barbie (2023)

Famous director of dramas about womanhood became the name associated with Barbie.

Barbie

PG-13

Comedy

Adventure

Fantasy

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Barbie is a film adaptation of the generational iconic toy directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach. The film centers on Margot Robbie's Barbie who is expelled from Barbieland and travels with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to the real world in search of happiness. The film also stars Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and several other famous celebrities in cameo roles.

Director

Greta Gerwig

Release Date

July 21, 2023

Writers

Noah Baumbach , Greta Gerwig

Cast

Margot Robbie , Ryan Gosling , Simu Liu , Ariana Greenblatt , Helen Mirren , Nicola Coughlan , John Cena , Will Ferrell , Ritu Arya , Michael Cera , America Ferrera , Alexandra Shipp , Kate McKinnon

Runtime

114 Minutes

The Barbie movie was in development for some time before Warner Bros. acquired the rights to it, and they landed the rising directorial star Greta Gerwig. Gerwig broke into Hollywood starring in her partner Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha and established herself as a director with the Oscar-nominated Lady Bird. Her taking on the new Little Women movie was not too far a leap from her preceding modern drama and proved to be equally successful.

However, Gerwig then made the startling transition to the surrealist Barbie movie that was primarily legitimized in the eyes of prospective audiences by Gerwig’s involvement. Barbie could have been a bogged-down IP movie, but people were sure it would disrupt the industry and Gerwig’s career because of the director’s reputation for compelling stories about womanhood. Its success represents one of the biggest payoffs in recent movie history. It has also changed the direction of Gerwig’s career, who is now taking on another fantasy project with Netflix’s Chronicles of Narnia reboot.