Last Updated on August 3, 2021
Through film history, there have been iconic pairings of writers and directors. From Christopher and Johnathan Nolan to Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese, there have been some filmmaking partnerships that have left indelible marks on Hollywood and the history of cinema. More often than not these days, a director often writes his own screenplay and earns recognition for doing all of the creative work themselves, but there are some dream teams we would love to see make movies together. Here is a ranking of 10 partnerships that could make for some amazing cinematic achievements. if you disagree with our picks or think we missed one, let us know in the comments below.
John McTiernan and Taylor Sheridan
Taylor Sheridan has brought an old school vibe to his projects, whether they be the SICARIO films, his drama series Yellowstone, or the astounding HELL OR HIGH WATER. John McTiernan is one of the most talented action directors of all time thanks to his work on PREDATOR, DIE HARD, and THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR. After some legal issues, McTiernan is a free man and waiting on that perfect script to get him back in the game. I cannot think of anyone better than Sheridan to write something of that caliber.
Mike Flanagan and Denis Villeneuve
In the last few years, these two filmmakers have been amongst the most exciting voices in genre storytelling. Mike Flanagan blew us away with The Haunting of Hill House and had the massive honor of making a sequel to THE SHINING. Denis Villeneuve went from SICARIO to making BLADE RUNNER 2049 and will next tackle the first faithful adaptation of DUNE. These guys both have incredibly busy slates ahead of them, but can you imagine what they could do if they worked together? I can imagine everything from Stephen King tales like INSOMNIA to fantasy epics and more. All I know is that their keen eyes could join to make a movie the likes we have never seen.
Duncan Jones and Alex Garland
Critics have been tough on Duncan Jones since he released the brilliant MOON while Alex Garland's growth from writer to director has continued to surprise and impress. Either of these filmmakers could write while the other directs and the resulting film would be astonishingly original. Whether they made an anthology or just a good old fashioned narrative movie, I would love to see how far they could go to create something that defies categorization.
Taika Waititi and Edgar Wright
Two of the funniest filmmakers working today, Waititi and Wright have made careers upending expectations and delivering movies that are not just funny and not just homages but truly original creations that take existing source material or their own crazy ideas and turn them into something unlike anything else out there. Both have handled budgets big and small and kept the quirks of their native countries as part of their filmographies. Both have also grown beyond the definitions of genre and continue to surprise audiences. What if they teamed up to surprise us even more? I would love to see what they could do with no monetary or creative limits.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Karyn Kusama
Karyn Kusama shot back onto everyone's radar with her stellar and unconventional crime film DESTROYER after years of making unique and exciting films, including the underrated THE INVITATION. Phoebe Waller-Bridge went from being a comedic actress to creating Killing Eve, which may be one of the most unique shows on television right now. Partering these two creative forces could tackle any number of genres or styles but would also represent one of the strongest female creative teams in Hollywood history.
Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino
Both Scorsese and Tarantino have explored the worlds of crime and Hollywood using violence, profanity, sex, and top notch acting talent. While their love of movie history is widely known, the pair have never directly collaborated despite sharing so much in common. Their shared working relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio could make for a very enticing trifecta and a movie that no one would want to miss. The question is, who directs and who writes? Or do they both share the duties equally?
Spike Lee and Ryan Coogler
In very different ways, both of these directors epitomized the African American experience in 2018. Between the Oscar acclaim for BLACKKKLANSMAN and BLACK PANTHER, Lee and Coogler showcased very different tales and filmmaking styles but with equal amounts of blood, sweat, and tears. If these two joined forces to make a project together as writer and director, it could blow away their individual efforts. I cannot even fathom what that story would or could be, but there are copious stories, historical and contemporary, that they could share with the world.
Jordan Peele and M Night Shyamalan
Jordan Peele's one-two punch of GET OUT and US has had the media labeling him "The Next Spielberg", a weighty honor once bestowed on M Night Shyamalan. Where Peele brought The Twilight Zone back to life, Shyamalan is working on resurrecting Spielberg's Amazing Stories. Both have told twisty tales that have shocked and entertained audiences. What if they worked together? Both filmmakers are more than capable of writing and directing their own work, but putting them together could be magical.
Cary Fukunaga and Guillermo Del Toro
From True Detective to Maniac and next BOND 25, Cary Fukunaga has gone from auteur to one of the most in demand filmmakers in Hollywood. BEASTS OF NO NATION was one hell of a follow-up to True Detective but helming a James Bond movie will be what solidifies Fukunaga's next project. And who has tons of projects he doesn't have time to direct? Just imagine if Guillermo Del Toro teamed with Fukunaga to bring AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS to life? If you have seen Fukunaga's JANE EYRE, you know there is already a similarity with Del Toro's CRIMSON PEAK that could make for a match made in heaven….or hell if it were.
Noah Hawley and Andy Muschietti
They may seem like an unlikely pairing, but Andy Muschietti's eye for horror and Noah Hawley's brilliant dialogue could make for an amazing film. Sure, Hawley has expanded from scripting series like Fargo and Legion to helming the film LUCY IN THE SKY, but his writing chops could compliment Muschietti's talent for bringing horrors like IT: CHAPTER ONE and TWO to life. Either an adaptation of a King novel (like an updated Cycle of the Werewolf) or an original tale, these two could make for something not only haunting but also visceral.
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