Directors I'd Love To See Make A Comeback

Aussie director John Hillcoat has only made four films since he came on the scene in 2005 with The Proposition. His last film was 2016's Triple 9, and he's got some projects in the pipeline but would like to see maybe a Netflix deal that would allow him to just go nuts and make some really macho, Walter Hill-Sam Peckinpah inspired stuff.

Joe Dante went on a tear in the 80's with his signature Looney Tunes-inspired wackiness, and his last really big film was Small Soldiers in 1998 (which was sort of a re-purposed Gremlins). I'd actually love to see him bring Innerspace back either as a sequel or reboot, there really hasn't been a movie like that since and I just think the concept combined with today's tech advancements would be amazing.

I'm kind of discounting Alita here because I feel that was more of a James Cameron movie that he took on, but Sin City 2 in 2014 was really the last film that had his stamp on it. I would like to either see him come back with some type of El Mariachi series on one of the streaming services, or a big budget sci-fi/horror like The Faculty or Planet Terror.

Everybody knows the Hughes Bros for Menace II Society and Dead Presidents, but since then they really haven't made anything on that level, the last of which being The Book of Eli in 2010 (they went on to solo-direct other films more recently). I know this one is a bit of a reach but given the volume of Black Cinema in recent years on Netflix, would be great to see their updated take on either M2S or DP.

For a while Blomkamp was one of my favorite new directors, sort of harnessing that James Cameron level of innovation in sci-fi. But he makes Chappie in 2015 and then the rumors started flying that he was set to direct an Alien sequel with Sigourney Weaver and Michael Beihn reprising their roles which sounded amazing to me and who better to take on the Alien mantle than him. But dude got hoodwinked by Ridley Scott who fast tracked his Prometheus 2 sequel into the shitshow that was Alien Covenant. Anyways, Blomkamp has only made short films under Oats Studios since then (and a horror movie flop in 2021), but would be great to have him return with another action sci-fi extravaganza. He's apparently got District 10 in the pipeline which would be a perfect comeback film.

Given how horror film is booming these days, how is John Carpenter not in on the action? He makes Ghosts of Mars in 2001 and then nothing until the poorly received The Ward in 2010 which was his last film released. More than anyone on this list, old Carpy is begging for a major comeback film.

Michael Mann had a pretty interesting renaissance in the mid-Oughts with Collateral and Miami Vice, which ended with Public Enemies in 2009. The only other film he's made since then was the under-the-radar Blackhat in 2015 which is a far cry from his earlier work. Netflix would be a good option for him now, but I just want to see him do something like Heat again.

Depalma has continued to make movies in recent years, but he really hasn't made a big noteworthy film since The Black Dahlia in 2006. Would love to see him make a comeback and complete his Latino gangster trilogy with Al Pacino. Sure I have my doubts if they both still have it in them but after seeing Scorsese pull off The Irishman anything is possible.

In the wake of the disaster that was Alexander, Oliver Stone continued to make some interesting films most notably for me was Savages in 2012. His last film was Snowden in 2016 and I think he's overdue for something big. I really miss the old Oliver Stone, addicted to psychedelics and just chopping up his films with a frantic energy that clearly set them apart from the rest. Doubtful he will ever return to this style in his old age, but I certainly would settle for a U-turn 2.

Kevin Reynolds will always be the Waterworld-Robin Hood Prince of Thieves guy to me (187 was also amazing) and he really hasn't made anything noteworthy since then with the exception of the Hatfields & McCoys mini-series in 2012. That was easily the best thing Costner had done in recent memory. I think if he's going to make a big comeback movie Costner needs to be on board and it should be a Western to continue that H&M energy.

Mel Gibson has been known to take some long breaks in between movies, the longest being 10 years in between Apocalypto and his last film Hacksaw Ridge in 2016. But I think it's time for him to make something again, and while I know he's currently working on a Passion of the Christ 2, that doesn't interest me at all. At this point he should only be allowed to make epic period battle movies like the Northman. In fact, I think there's a lot of Mel in that movie.