Where has Duncan Jones gone? The indie filmmaker, son of David Bowie, had made waves with Moon and Source Code, and even flirted with blockbuster territory through Warcraft, before becoming part of the group of filmmakers that Netflix welcomed with open arms just before and after the pandemic, presenting itself as an oasis for the riskiest auteurial vision, the kind Hollywood fears. Is it still so? Jones, who managed to complete the new animated feature Rogue Trooper entirely on his own, is far from convinced, confirming the shift in strategy of the streaming giant in an interview with Indiewire.
Netflix follows the algorithm, not auteurism, Duncan Jones confirms
A few years back Netflix began tying itself to renowned auteurs for its original films: you may recall the involvement of names such as Bong Joon Ho, Martin Scorsese, Joel & Ethan Coen, Alfonso Cuarón, David Fincher, among others. The notion of an upcoming The New Misadventures of Cliff Booth, directed by the latter with a screenplay by Tarantino, might hint that nothing has changed, but that isn’t truly the case. Since the person in charge of content on the platform became Dan Lin a couple of years ago, the strategy has openly pivoted toward works that guarantee more viewership, with less emphasis on the auteur. The dream ultimately shattered after the pandemic’s peak. Duncan Jones, who produced his Mute with the help of Netflix, offers this reflection: “It was an ideal moment. My God, the planets truly aligned, because back then Netflix basically said: we want directors to come to us and do whatever they want. And I said, then I’m in. It was a brief moment, because now it isn’t like that. […] And things will get worse, I don’t know how the platforms see the future, what kinds of films they will pursue. The problem is the algorithm, it says this is popular, that is popular. The field will shrink until they end up making a single type of film with two or three key actors. I don’t know where they’ll end up, unless they find a way to break out of the vicious circle.”
The difficulties encountered in bringing Rogue Trooper to life are a signal: “I don’t want to put myself in the same category as David Lynch or Terry Gilliam, but when you watch their films you can tell they’re having fun. I think it’s harder now than ever, unless you’re willing to work with ultra-low budgets and shoot it yourself. I believe it’s hard to work that way today. Independent and mid-range theatrical releases are very challenging nowadays.”
Comments