10 Film Directors Who Desperately Need A Win

1. J.J. Abrams

JJ Abrams Leia Rey
Paramount

Before The Rise of Skywalker apologists leap to his defense, J.J. Abrams' position at the top of this list has nothing to do with the quality of his output or his abilities as a filmmaker. Instead, it asks if he's really earned his position as one of the most important and powerful directors in Hollywood.

Bad Robot have their fingers in many pies across Hollywood, with Abrams recently signing a huge first-look deal with Warner Bros., but when you look at his filmography as a director you notice a startling lack of originality. He's directed six movies so far, made up of a Mission: Impossible sequel, two Star Wars sequels, a Star Trek reboot and a sequel to that Star Trek reboot. The only original thing on it is Super 8, and even that's nothing but a blatant love-letter to Steven Spielberg and the heyday of Amblin.

Abrams has always come under criticism for his writing, and can you name any of his visual flourishes or signatures other than lens flare? Mission: Impossible III is the lowest-earning installment in the entire franchise, and his work on both Star Wars and Star Trek has faced highly-publicized backlash from certain sections of the fanbase. It's about time he threw himself into something completely unique and original instead of relying solely on existing properties.

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