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James Gunn is one of the hottest directors in Hollywood today. As director of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy and, more recently, DC’s “Superman,” he has established himself as a modern master of superhero cinema. Not only that, but he’s also co-head of DC Studios at Warner Bros., giving him a lot of creative control over one of the biggest franchises around. Anyone who wants to be a part of this universe needs to know that there is at least one big rule that Gunn has on his sets.
The new book “Superman: The Art and Making of the Film” by author James Field details the making of “Superman” from top to bottom. In it, Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Lois Lane, was very complimentary of the atmosphere on set, having never worked with Gunn before. This is largely due to the director’s “zero holes” policy. Here’s what she had to say about it:
“A James Gunn set infuses a movie with love and hope. He did a deep dive on all of us. He was very clear that there was a ‘zero holes’ policy on his sets. And he brought together this group of people who are just excited to be here and happy to be here every day. And he loves these worlds. He loves these characters, and that kind of energy comes from above. It was great.”
“We had so much fun. He has a very clear vision of what he wants to do, but he’s also very collaborative, and he gave us space to play and find things and work together,” Brosnahan concluded.
James Gunn wants the vibes to be good
It’s not uncommon for great directors to have certain rules on their film sets. Christopher Nolan doesn’t allow cell phones or smoking, for example. Gunn’s rule is a little less applicable, strictly speaking, because everyone’s definition of being an asshole can vary. Most importantly, Gunn wants to foster a positive and creative environment.
Gunn may have had to be patient with David Corenswet while filming “Superman,” but having creative disagreements and someone being a jerk are two very different things. What we know for sure is that Gunn’s methods deliver excellent results. His films are generally very successful, and beyond that, actors tend to want to work with him again and again. When he was briefly fired from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, the cast actively requested his reinstatement. Not all directors get this kind of love.
“There’s a camaraderie that you don’t get very often, and especially on the big things, where a lot of things get lost in the weeds,” added Metamorpho actor Anthony Carrigan. “James prioritizes it. He makes sure that everyone taps into that kind of heart that’s in the script, that’s in the movie. And you can feel it.”
In this case, everything worked out pretty well since “Superman” is the biggest superhero movie of the year, giving a strong start to the new DC Universe. Gunn is already working on his follow-up, titled “Man of Tomorrow,” which will feature Brainiac as the main villain. It hasn’t yet been revealed who will play Brainiac, but the one thing we know is that that person won’t be an a-hole, in Gunn’s estimation.
You can grab “Superman: The Art and Making of Motion Picture” on Amazon.
