Key Takeaways:
– Acclaimed director and novelist Alex Garland expresses discomfort over the unexpected popularity of his first book, ‘The Beach’, which led to cinematic adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
– Despite enjoying successful transitions into the film industry with works like ‘Ex Machina’, Garland intends to take a break from directing.
– He cites pressures and responsibilities tied to movie-making as the reasons behind his decision.
– Garland plans to continue his career as a screenwriter, including scripting for the sequel to ’28 Days Later’.
Alex Garland: A Successful Transition Into Hollywood
Before making a name for himself as a successful film director, Alex Garland began his career as an accomplished novelist. To his credit are three popular novels ‘The Coma’, ‘The Tesseract’, and ‘The Beach’, with the latter growing incredibly popular. However, it was the film industry that catapulted him to global fame. His scripts for films like ’28 Days Later’, ‘Sunshine’, and ‘Dredd’ established his presence.
Garland’s directorial debut, ‘Ex-Machina’, was noted as one of the best sci-fi films of the decade. Despite his great stride as a director, Garland recently revealed his intention to halt his directorial pursuits, citing the pressure and responsibility involved in making movies.
Garland’s Unforeseen Nudge Into Fame
Before stepping into Hollywood, Garland authored the popular novel ‘The Beach’ in 1996. The book became a word-of-mouth sleeper hit, recounting the journey of a backpacker in search of an ideal beach in Thailand.
Speaking to The Guardian, Garland admitted he was taken aback by the unexpected success of the book. “An absolute f–king masterpiece,” he said, “It got some good reviews, it got some bad reviews. But months later, I started hearing backpackers in Thailand passing it among themselves. This was the pre-internet period; a proper word-of-mouth phenomenon.”
Cinematic Success and the Unwanted Popularity
‘The Beach’ later inspired a feature film starring Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio. Danny Boyle directed this box-office hit which banked mixed to negative reviews. Garland, despite the fame and success that the film brought, expressed his discomfort with the popularity gained through it.
Garland’s Directorial Hits and An Unexpected Hiatus
After penning scripts for successful films, Garland stepped into the spotlight as a director with ‘Ex-Machina’. Subsequently, he directed ‘Annihilation’, ‘Men’, and his latest film ‘Civil War’. ‘Civil War’ recently premiered at SXSW, winning audiences’ positive reception.
Despite these victories, Garland, reflecting on his directorial journey, confided his plans to take a break. He expressed feeling overwhelmed by the inherent pressures and responsibilities of movie-making. Confirming to The Guardian, he admitted, “I’m not planning to direct again in the foreseeable future…The pressure doesn’t come from the money, but the significant duty to cast and crew literally keeps me awake at night.”
The Continued Journey of a Screenwriter
While Garland has chosen to step back from directing, he is still maintaining his journey as a screenwriter. He will be co-directing ‘Warfare’, an upcoming film marking Ray Mendoza’s directorial debut, but insists he is “not directing”.
Furthermore, he’s set to script a sequel to ’28 Days Later’, aptly titled ’28 Years Later’, with Danny Boyle returning as the director. The creative legend’s journey continues, but this time, it seems he’ll captivate audiences from behind the scenes.
