There are many pitfalls on the road to a good remake. Elizabeth Banks directed 2019’s ill-fated movie charlie’s angels Reboot, you may know this better than anyone.But before she returns to the director’s chair for her upcoming abortion drama call jane, a certain set of apprehensions about the film’s reception still ring distinctly.As Banks says new york times In a new interview (after a slight hedge) she felt charlie’s angels It wasn’t the kind of action movie Banks thought she was making.
“Let me just say I’m proud of this movie,” Banks begins, after a slight hedge and hinting that she may be “in trouble” with her comments. It was an experience.”
But Banks laments. “When a woman does something in Hollywood, it becomes this story, so it was very stressful,” she explains. charlie’s angels That I was creating a feminist manifesto. I was just making an action movie. “
Banks continues: mission impossiblebut the woman is not supervising mission impossibleFrankly, I was only able to direct an action movie because it starred a woman and I was the female director, and that’s the limit of Hollywood right now. I didn’t make it just for girls, so I wish this movie wasn’t presented as just for girls. For me, there was a disconnect on the marketing side. “
The director also vividly recalls the vile form of suspicion she experienced from producers who didn’t see her as a big enough industry mogul to handle an action movie.
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“I was told by a big producer of a big action movie that I couldn’t direct an action and that no male actor would follow me,” says Banks. “He was baffled by the idea that a woman could lead The Rock on a CGI screen, wasn’t he?
Banks doesn’t mince words about her experience, but is careful to emphasize that her story doesn’t represent “every woman in Hollywood doing interesting things.” Much like not being a spokesperson for that conglomerate, Banks also doesn’t believe her position in the “rare category” of female actors/directors is begging her to settle Hollywood. Hmm.
“It’s a male-dominated industry. It’s a male-dominated world. To do. “Frankly, the head of the studio puts me in a position to read it. new york times Like, “Wow, Liz Banks has a lot to say.” I don’t need that extra pressure. It feels really dangerous to talk about these things now. “