Much like the characters that he plays on the big screen, Vin Diesel is not someone that lacks confidence. Often, in interviews, you’ll see him sincerely talk about how great his films are and how important they are for millions of fans. And box office surely backs that up. But he also tends to take that popularity and applies it to other confident things he says, such as when he recently said that the ending of “Furious 7” is the “best moment in cinematic history.” And in a new interview with The National, Diesel adds to that confidence by talking about how Steven Spielberg is sad that there aren’t more Vin Diesel-directed films.
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Diesel explained what happened in the conversation, “Speaking of Steven Spielberg, I saw him recently, and he had said to me, ‘When I wrote the role for you in ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ I was obviously employing the actor, but I was also secretly championing the director in you, and you have not directed enough. That is a crime of cinema and you must get back in the directing chair.’ I haven’t directed enough.”
He added that he looks at fellow Sundance graduates like Jon Favreau as inspiration for showing how an actor can transition into becoming one of the biggest filmmakers on the planet. Diesel said that when he sees the success of “The Lion King” filmmaker, it makes him think “Steven is right.”
Diesel has one feature film under his directorial belt, the 1997 project, “Strays.” Outside of that, he’s done some shorts and an episode of the TV series, “The Ropes,” in 2012.
As for what he’d like to do for his next directorial endeavor, he has a project in mind that has stuck with him for 20 years—the story of Hannibal Barca. For those not steeped in knowledge of the Second Punic War, Barca was a Carthaginian general that fought the ancient Romans. And apparently, this is a project that Diesel has wanted to turn into a film trilogy.
“I haven’t done it yet,” said the actor. “As much as I am grateful for the accomplishments, there are moments when I go ‘God, you promised the universe, very specifically, the Hannibal Barca trilogy, and you haven’t delivered it. You traveled all over the world.’”
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He continued, “I was in Egypt, in Tunisia, I was in Spain. I crossed the Alps where Hannibal did. I did so much research for this, but I still haven’t carved out the time to do it.”
There’s another reason why he wants to get back to the director’s chair as if Steven Spielberg’s endorsement wasn’t enough. He says that the theatrical experience is under attack with Netflix and streaming options becoming more prevalent. He explains that films such as “Bloodshot” and “F9” are made to “protect” theaters, and Diesel understands that it’s important for him to act.
He said, Although I have to do that, I have to continue the director’s journey at some point.”