10 Film Directors Who Desperately Need A Win

Shane Black will always be an icon to fans of the buddy genre having written Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight, but despite being the director of the twentieth highest-grossing movie in history, the 58 year-old really needs a hit under his belt sooner rather than later.

Iron Man 3 may have made over $1.2bn at the box office, but given that it was the first installment in the MCU to follow The Avengers, it was always going to be a massive hit no matter who was directing. Black's next foray into big-budget territory was The Predator, which bore the obvious fingerprints of heavy re-shoots and studio interference and only raked in a disappointing $160m worldwide.

Both of the original concepts that he's directed have bombed at the box office, despite Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys being two of the greatest crime thrillers of the 21st Century. Both movies make great use of Black's signature style, but there simply wasn't much of an audience for either.

With four movies, one mega-hit and three flops on his resume as director, whatever he decides to tackle next could have a lasting impact on his standing in the movie business. Black has the talent and the reputation to hang with the big boys, but one more dud and serious questions will be getting asked.