One of the greatest directors of all time just devastated movie fans
Paramount Pictures/20th Century StudiosO Captain, my captain! One of cinema’s greatest directors has just confirmed that he’s retired for good, and his fans have been left devastated.
When you think of iconic, legendary directors, a few names will likely come to mind right away: Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and Christopher Nolan, among a few others.
One man firmly in the echelon of moviemaking greatness is Peter Weir, the director behind Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show, and Master & Commander; these are just three films in a career of bangers.
His last movie, The Way Back, was released in 2010. Many have hoped he’d make one more film — alas, sadly, his days behind the camera are over.
Legendary director Peter Weir confirms retirement
While appearing at the Festival de la Cinémathèque in Paris, Weir delivered a long-dreaded update on his career.
“I am retired. Why did I stop cinema? Because, quite simply, I have no more energy,” he said, as per Télérama.
In an earlier interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Weir responded to a “puzzling” claim by Ethan Hawke that he’d lost interest in movies after alleged bad experiences with Russell Crowe and Johnny Depp. “This quote of Ethan’s must have been taken out of context,” he explained.
“For film directors, like volcanoes, there are three major stages: active, dormant and extinct. I think I’ve reached the latter! Another generation is out there calling ‘action’ and ‘cut’ and good luck to them.”
Reacting to the news on X/Twitter, one fan wrote: “I feel like he unofficially had already retired, but it’s sad to have it confirmed that there will never again be another Peter Weir film. He is truly one of the greats.”
“Somebody toss Peter Weir a Red Bull: cinema needs him,” a second wrote. “Believe Peter Weir is one of the great film directors in my lifetime, from occult tone poems, to historical epics, to harrowing character portraits, you earned your retirement, Maestro,” a third posted.
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