Image Credit: Disney
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Austin Butler as Elvis
Image via Warner Bros.

‘Elvis’ director Baz Luhrmann weighs in on superhero movie vs cinema debate

Luhrmann also gave his thoughts on whether cinema is dead.

Elvis director Baz Luhrmann is weighing in on the whole superhero movie vs cinema debate that has oft been discussed ever since The Irishman director Martin Scorsese remarked back in 2019 that he didn’t consider Marvel movies and their ilk to be true cinema, but more akin to theme parks.

Recommended Videos

Luhrmann is known for his razzle-dazzle, some would say over-the-top filmmaking style, with the glitzy Elvis being just the latest example of that. So it would be interesting to hear what he thinks about Marvel films, for instance, which are often similarly colorful and frenetic.

When asked by Associated Press whether he could imagine one of his films premiering on a streaming service, Luhrmann began musing about his thoughts on whether “cinema is dead.” His response was that no, he absolutely does not think cinema is six feet under.

“I mean, television came along and everyone thought cinema was dead. Look, we want to get in a dark room with strangers and for a few brief moments feel we’re united,” Luhrmann said.

The Moulin Rouge! director went on to give some of his thoughts about superhero movies, including Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

“I love a superhero picture. I thought The Batman was absolutely brilliant. But man cannot live by Batman alone. Having a film that isn’t a franchise that motivates audiences to go out to the theater. I don’t know if I’m a showman but I’m certainly a theatrical storyteller. And theatrical means the theater.”

The superhero flick vs cinema debate has split Hollywood types down the middle, especially movie directors, so it’s somewhat refreshing to hear an answer from Luhrmann that gives some credence to both sides of the argument. On the one hand, The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola has backed up Scorsese’s point of view. But his own nephew, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent actor Nicolas Cage, has stated there’s nothing wrong with superhero movies. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn also expressed disappointment in Scorsese’s sentiments, but he later had a long conversation with Coppola, discussing cinema, in his kitchen at one point.

Elvis comes to theaters on June 24.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Danny Peterson
Danny Peterson
Danny Peterson covers entertainment news for WGTC and has previously enjoyed writing about housing, homelessness, the coronavirus pandemic, historic 2020 Oregon wildfires, and racial justice protests. Originally from Juneau, Alaska, Danny received his Bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Alaska Southeast and a Master's in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Oregon. He has written for The Portland Observer, worked as a digital enterprise reporter at KOIN 6 News, and is the co-producer of the award-winning documentary 'Escape from Eagle Creek.'