Director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, Mask of Zorro) regrets directing the superhero movie Green Lantern.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Campbell was asked about the possibility of a Green Lantern director’s cut (as they’ve been a hot topic in the DCEU as of late). It’s not surprising that the director has no interest in returning to the superhero genre at all.
“We’ll put it this way: I did have my cut. The point was, right at the beginning of the movie, there was a whole sequence where he’s an 11-year-old kid. It’s how his father dies in the air crash, which was a really good sequence. But [the production head] at the time decided that he wanted the death of the father intercut with Hal plunging in the plane, and he saw these flashbacks come to him. That was something that I didn’t like very much.”
Green Lantern’s debut in theaters was met with universal disdain and disapproval by fans and film critics alike. In addition, the film bombed at the box office with a $219 million total at the global box office on a $200 million budget. Campbell isn’t bitter about it. In fact, he partially blames himself for how the film turned out.
“But you know what? The film did not work, really. That’s the point, and I’m partly responsible for that. I shouldn’t have done it. Because with something like Bond - I love Bond, and I watched every Bond film before I ever directed it. Superhero movies are not my cup of tea, and for that reason, I shouldn’t have done it. But directors always have to carry the can for the failures. What do they say? Success has many fathers, failure has one. And that’s me,” Campbell concluded.
Green Lantern has been absent from the greater DCEU universe but is getting another shot at success with the HBO Max show Green Lantern Corps. The series is currently in development.
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