Since the 1980s, there are few filmmakers to have as much of a highly-regarded filmography as Peter Weir. We’re talking about films like “Dead Poets Society,” “Green Card,” “Witness,” “The Truman Show,” and more. All told, the filmmaker has earned six Oscar nominations, four of which for Best Director. (He’s receiving an honorary Oscar in 2023.) But Weir hasn’t stepped behind the camera in more than a decade. And Ethan Hawke thinks he knows why.
Speaking to IndieWire, while promoting his new docuseries, “The Last Movie Stars,” Ethan Hawke talked about why Peter Weir stepped away from Hollywood after the release of his 2010 film, “The Way Back.” Apparently, Weir grew weary of filmmaking after a couple of terrible experiences with some big A-list actors.
“I think he lost interest in movies,” explained Hawke, who worked with Weir on “Dead Poets Society.” “He really enjoyed that work when he didn’t have actors giving him a hard time. Russell Crowe and Johnny Depp broke him. He’s someone so rare these days, a popular artist. He makes mainstream movies that are artistic. To have the budget to do ‘The Truman Show’ or ‘Master and Commander,’ you need a Jim Carrey or Russell Crowe. I think Harrison Ford and Gerard Depardieu were his sort of actors. They were director-friendly and didn’t see themselves as important.”
For those who don’t know the history, Weir directed “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” which stars Russell Crowe in the lead role. There are plenty of reports of a bit of drama behind-the-scenes, but the film would go on to be nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars. However, it was seven years between the release of that film and Weir’s final feature, “The Way Back,” which might lend credence to what Hawke was saying.
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You see, in between the making of ‘Master and Commander’ and “The Way Back,” Weir was attached to direct “Shantaram” starring Johnny Depp. However, after developing that film for a while, Weir left due to creative differences. Again, this lines up with Hawke’s assertion that maybe Depp was partially to blame for the filmmaker’s departure.
All that to say, if Weir has “lost interest” in making films, then it’s definitely better that he stepped away and didn’t just begrudgingly continue. That said, it’s a damn shame if experiences with folks like Crowe and Depp are to blame for the filmmaker losing his passion for filmmaking.