UPDATE:
Oliver Stone has clarified his remarks over Barbie, saying his quote came before he had even seen the film.
Posting on social media, Stone wrote the following: “I was able to see Barbie in a theater back in July and appreciated the film for its originality and its themes. I found the filmmakers’ approach certainly different than what I expected. I apologize for speaking ignorantly. Greta Gerwig’s 2017 film Lady Bird was one of my favorites of that year. Barbie’s box office greatly boosted the morale of our business, which was welcome. I wish Greta and the entire Barbie team good fortune at the Oscars.”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
Ryan Gosling may have brought the Kenergy to Barbie but filmmaker Oliver Stone thinks he’s wasting his time. Oh, and he doesn’t like the Fast and the Furious movies anymore. Oh, and he won’t let go of how much he hates John Wick 4. Oh, and…
In a recent interview with City A.M., Oliver Stone took Gosling – who is on his way to his first Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod for Barbie – to task, saying he is now part of the problem in Hollywood. “Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s doing that shit for money. He should be doing more serious films. He shouldn’t be a part of this infantilization of Hollywood. Now it’s all fantasy, fantasy, fantasy, including all the war pictures: fantasy, fantasy.” Stone’s biggest box office hit, JFK – which had its own “fantasy” to it – grossed $205 million worldwide, which Barbie earned in just five days.
Oliver Stone then said even the big franchise flicks have gotten dumber, saying, “Even the Fast and Furious movies, which I used to enjoy, have become like Marvel movies. I mean, how many crashes can you see?” As for other series the 77-year-old can’t stand, he gave John Wick 4 – a movie he has bashed before as “disgusting” – a go but couldn’t make it through without dozing off. “I fell asleep about 778 times during it. I kept waking up and having to face him killing more people. It’s like the world has degenerated into non-logic.”
Oliver Stone has never shied away from offering his viewpoint and it’s really no surprise that he’s not a fan of certain kinds of movies. But he does deserve some credit for giving the Fast and the Furious movies a shot, which at least gives his opinion on the franchise’s decline a little heft. As for his take on Gosling, that’s definitely more of a hot take, as he gives a pretty incredible comedic performance as Ken, not once coming off like a cash grab. (Wait until Stone hears how much Margot Robbie made…)
Do you agree with any of what Oliver Stone has to say about his latest targets? Where is he off base? Give us your take in the comments section below.