It's hard to imagine that some of the greatest names in Hollywood today, like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, and Quentin Tarantino, aren't getting any younger and will, eventually, stop making movies. Tarantino himself has announced his plans to retire after his tenth film (he's made seven so far), while other longtime greats have either already tossed in the towel or have fallen into disappointing trends; never fully reaching the great heights they enjoyed earlier in their careers. Luckily, new directors arrive on the scene each year, and though not all of them hit a homerun their first time at bat, there are a few gems here and there that give us high hopes for the future. Neil Blomkamp's directorial debut, District 9, was met with widespread acclaim and was even nominated for best picture. Joe Cornish, who up until two years ago spent much of his time in the writer's room, made the cult hit Attack The Block and is now rumored to be in talks to helm Star Trek 3. Colin Trevorrow, who made a great sci-fi indie called Safety Not Guaranteed, will be following Spielberg's footsteps and bringing the next Jurassic Park film to life. We frequently criticize Hollywood for having a lack of imagination, or for resorting to too many sequels and reboots, and often forget that there are a ton of new, talented directors working today. People like Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), Joseph Kosinski (Tron Legacy, Oblivion), Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths), and Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame, and 12 Years A Slave), who have made incredibly unique, successful movies and (hopefully) have long careers ahead of them. A few months ago Whatculture writer Robert Kojder wrote
a great piece showcasing 10 of these promising filmmakers, though there are certainly more out there to watch out for. For this weekend's weigh-in, we'd like to know who
your favorite up-and-coming director is. How do you feel about directors who might be on their way out? And do you think Hollywood has a bright future ahead if placed in the hands of these new filmmakers? Let us know in the comments below!