Despite a string of big budget bombs at the box office this summer, "Bourne Supremacy" director Paul Greengrass is applauding the Hollywood studio system for taking risks to successfully produce global entertainment.
"I'm the first in a room to be critical, but I'm telling you what's in my heart. I know there are so many people who work their butts off trying to get the best possible films. And in my experience, there are people who are willing to take considerable risks," the director said during an interview with the Film Society of Lincoln Center.
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The answer came after the director of "Captain Phillips," an upcoming drama starring Tom Hanks as a captain of a ship hijacked by Somali pirates, was asked for his thoughts on working within the studio system, which tends to produce summer tentpoles that are often criticized for being too big for their own good.
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Greengrass recognized inevitable misfires, but referenced Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" and "Inception," two films that were hits with audiences and critics, alike.
"You're going to get some that work less well, but the important thing is that studios keep trying because they are the gigantic drivers that allow the turbines of the industry to turn," Greengrass added. "That's no reason to give films an easy ride or not to be critical, but you're asking me the question as a movie-maker. I feel it's an incredibly hard job to make global filmed entertainment."
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Greengrass directed "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum," the second and third entry in Universal's spy franchise, in addition to "United 93" and "Green Zone."
Sony is hoping Greengrass can deliver another international hit when "Captain Phillips," which takes place on international waters off the coast of Eastern Africa, hits theaters this fall.
"My take away is this," Greengrass told the publication. "You want the big entertainment palace of a Superman and the smaller niche art house. You want them all. You want a confident industry that's well resourced and making movies."