How 3 indie directors kept it personal while shepherding big-budget films

Hollywood loves directors who start small and go big. After Christopher Nolan made his first American film, “Memento,” for $9 million, he popularized the now-familiar path from art house to studio lot by helming the $2.5-billion-grossing “Dark Knight” trilogy, followed by last year’s big-budget best picture winner, “Oppenheimer.” Three years ago, Chloé Zhao won an Oscar for directing “Nomadland” before taking a big swing with Marvel Studios’ ensemble adventure “Eternals,” which grossed $402 million worldwide. And before she masterminded 2023’s top-grossing movie “Barbie”, Greta Gerwig shot 2017’s “Lady Bird” for $10 million, picking up writing and directing Oscar nominations along the way. That’s us!’ I feel fortunate that I’m able to follow ‘Minari’ with a movie that feels personal to me despite being very different and much bigger.” Barry Jenkins: from “Moonlight” to “Mufasa: The Lion King” Small: Jenkins’ 2016 best picture-winning “Moonlight,” based on a semiautobiographical play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, cost $1.5 million and grossed $65 million in worldwide box office. Influences: Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 French crime thriller “Le Samouraï” and the Robert De Niro-Charles Grodin two-hander “Midnight Run” served as inspirations for “Wolfs,” says Watts, who also referenced 2007 fixer drama “Michael Clayton” in his pitch to Clooney: “What if Michael Clayton met Michael Clayton?” Making it personal: “‘Spider-Man’ was an incredible experience, and I totally take creative ownership over all of those films, but ultimately, ‘Spider-Man’ is always going to be Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s creation,” Watts said, referring to the comic book’s co-creators.