13 Movies Actually Ghost Directed By A Second Filmmaker

Mad Max maestro George Miller snatched up the rights to The Sheep-Pig children's book in the mid-80s and while it was an odd match for the R-rated filmmaker to head towards he was adamant and passionate about his vision for the project, and to do the entire film live-action as opposed to a traditional Disney animated approach.

For close to ten years he evolved the screenplay, as well as the necessary technology to get the film to work. Unfortunately, once things were in place and the production ready to go, his scheduling had him unavailable. The directing job went to Miller’s one-time assistant director Chris Noonan instead, who ably took the job, with Miller still credited as co-screenwriter and producer.

The film was a critical and commercial hit - for adults and children - even garnering several Oscar nominations and a Best Visual Effects gong. When asked why he didn’t direct the film, on the interview show The Director’s Chair, Miller responded;

“Because the timings didn’t turn out, by that point I was already doing Lorenzo’s Oil. But as it turns out, I had to get heavily involved in the film, particularly in the post-production.”

Miller would go on to direct the lesser received (and much darker) sequel Babe: A Pig In The City, so perhaps Noonan's contribution is what helped things click into place. Still, Miller’s intricate involvement in every stage of the project is undeniable.