FILM TO TV
Great Directors Entertain in Both Mediums
Sure, you’ve likely seen Mulholland Drive, La La Land, Selma or Do The Right Thing. But the filmmakers we love have also graced our TV screens for years. Here are movie directors who made the leap to TV and continue to make great films as well.
DAMIEN CHAZELLE
It’s no surprise that Damien Chazelle’s latest venture featured a jazz theme, but it was a shock when it landed on Netflix as an eight-part series. Whiplash and La La Land‘s Chazelle directed and produced The Eddy with André Holland leading the gritty narrative. Watch for Damien Chazelle’s influence, stay for the jazz.
DAVID LYNCH
It makes sense that the talent behind Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive brought us Twin Peaks, too. The quirky crime drama had everyone wondering who killed Laura Palmer and that eventually led to a movie and reboot.
SPIKE LEE
Spike Lee’s career spans decades, but the director’s first major TV show was She’s Gotta Have It. The show premiered in 2017 on Netflix and launched DeWanda Wise’s career. The dramedy is a modern take on his classic film of the same name.
STEVEN SODERBERGH
Erin Brockovich‘s Steven Soderbergh also directed the TV series The Knick, a period drama set in the 1920s at New York’s storied Knickerbocker Hospital. Soderbergh directed all 20 episodes, which is an impressive feat. Soderbergh also served as producer for a TV adaptation of his film The Girlfriend Experience.
AVA DUVERNAY
Ava Duvernay has proven her place in the industry and uses her platform to showcase stories of color. Her career started in film, but her television mini-series When They See Us won two Emmys. She also has a series on OWN called Queen Sugar that is worth the watch.
CARY JOJI FUKUNAGA
The first season of True Detective was so good that what followed paled in comparison. Jane Eyre and No Time To Die director Cary Joji Fukunaga called the shots for the Woody Harrelson/Matthew McConaughey season. Fukunaga also created the Jonah Hill and Emma Stone series Maniac.
ALEX GARLAND
Alex Garland has a knack for sci-fi and dystopian thrillers having directed Ex Machina and Annihilation. Recently, Garland created and directed the FX/Hulu series Devs starring Nick Offerman. Devs tackles the subject of determinism and what we control in this life. It’s heavy stuff that makes for compelling TV.
THE WACHOWSKIS
If Sense8 reminds you a little of The Matrix, that’s because Lana and Lilly Wachowski served as co-creators for the sexy sci-fi hit. The Netflix series ran for two seasons and was the first TV show the Wachowski sisters created. Hopefully, it’s not the last.
