It takes hundreds of people to make a movie, but out of all those people, the movie’s director is the driving vision behind the project. Sometimes they write the script, other times they follow one written by someone else, but nothing gets on screen without their input.
It’s these exact qualities that are required in making a video game as well. Although most film directors are content in making movies, there are several visionary or unique voices in the director’s chair who should think about entering the world of video games and making something great in that realm, too.
Michael Bay
Throughout his almost three decades as a director, Michael Bay has become a filmmaker whose style-over-substance approach is easy for moviegoers to dislike. However, the new release Ambulance is one of Bay’s best movies; it seems he has found new footing as a director.
On top of that, Bay’s flashy style would be perfect for an action game, where story can take a backseat as long as the experience is thrilling for players. That isn’t to say that there shouldn’t be a story in this hypothetical game, but if Bay directs, the focus will probably be elsewhere, which is why he’d be a great fit for action.
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino actually has a credit on a video game: he plays himself in Steven Spielberg’s Director’s Chair (1996), and also acted in the short film within the game as a prisoner on death row. However, he’s never made a video game of his own.
With his incredible ear for dialogue and unmistakable directing style, Tarantino could provide a gaming experience fans would never forget. His novelization of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood represents an attempt to branch out into other media, and he should consider video games as another hill to climb.
Jordan Peele
Horror is one of the most popular genres of games out there, and Jordan Peele has proven through both Get Out and Us that he’s a master of the genre. It’s why fan theories about his new movie, Nope, are so prevalent; everyone is eager for his next film.
So, once Jordan Peele releases Nope, he should consider venturing into the horror-game realm. Maybe he could make an entry in the Resident Evil or Silent Hill series, although an original game would also certainly be welcome from the director. Get Out, his first-time feature, hit it out of the park. There’s no reason to think he can’t do the same with a game.
Chloé Zhao
Although Eternals (2021) may not have been incredibly well-received critically, it’s hard to deny how gorgeous the movie looks, and that’s all down to Chloé Zhao, best known outside of that for Best Picture winner Nomadland (2020).
With video-game technology improving every year, Zhao’s skills are well-suited to a game with sweeping visuals that merit constant screenshots. While her game could definitely be action-focused, a more intimate drama backed by her direction could be just as impressive.
James Cameron
Until Avengers: Endgame came along, James Cameron had directed the two highest-grossing films of all time, Avatar and Titanic. Both films are defined by their wide cast of characters and epic scope, but Avatar was groundbreaking in its visual effects; that’s why Cameron had to wait a decade to make it.
Although it seems he’ll be occupied over the next decade with the Avatar sequels, he still definitely has the chops to make a video game, one that would definitely be better than the 2009 film’s video game adaptation. Here’s hoping the upcoming Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora game is good, at least.
David Fincher
David Fincher’s career is defined by his psychological thrillers, with plenty of unsettling scenes in Fincher’s movies to go around. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and The Social Network (2010) are exceptions to the trend, however, but the trend is still there.
Fincher’s directing pedigree makes him a perfect candidate for a detective/mystery game, or a thriller. A game in the mold of Heavy Rain, or even Netflix’s interactive-movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, would be right up his alley, and also draw in plenty of people who don’t normally play games.
Alfonso Cuarón
The first two Harry Potter movies carry the distinct mark of director Chris Columbus, and while fun, had the series continued on that route, it would have grown stale. Alfonso Cuarón’s direction on Prisoner of Azkaban changed the films forever, and his later Gravity and Roma were two of the best films of the 2010s, as well.
All this is to say that Cuarón is one of the greatest and most innovative directors in Hollywood today, and that any video game project he tackled would benefit well from his influence, thanks to his versatility. He has to bring his cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki – who won Best Cinematography at the Oscars three years in a row – along as well.
George Miller
Behind Steven Spielberg, George Miller is perhaps the most diverse director of all time, making both family films (Babe and Happy Feet) as well as R-rated action movies (the four Mad Max movies), yet he isn’t a household name like Spielberg.
Miller’s production company, Kennedy Miller Mitchell, actually bought the rights to make the L.A. Noire follow-up with the hope of expanding into games, although the project was eventually canceled. If they ever decide to try to make a game again, Miller should absolutely be involved.
Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve’s work on Dune (2021) was nothing short of absolutely breathtaking, but with Arrival (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) having come before, it was no surprise that he managed to pull it off in such a stunning way.
Like many directors who could make a great game, it’s his visionary nature that makes the idea so appealing. Villeneuve’s sci-fi experience could produce incredible planets and alien species, while his thriller work could produce a top-tier detective game. The prospect of any of those, or more, is exciting. Dune 2 may await, but so will gamers.
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan, more than any other director out there, needs to place his hat in the video-game arena at least once. His films have redefined cinema, he’s one of the most visionary directors working, and is perhaps the only one who could get $100 million to finance a passionate project like Inception.
Speaking of Inception to EW, Nolan expressed interest in 2010 about making a video game based on the movie, calling video games “something [he’s] wanted to explore”, but it never went anywhere. Fans around the world can only hope that Nolan eventually does give it a shot.
