DIRECTOR TERRY GILLIAM SLAMS ‘BLACK PANTHER’ FOR GIVING BLACK KIDS FALSE HOPE
Acclaimed director Terry Gillium has slammed the filmmakers behind the 2018 blockbuster “Black Panther,” saying the film made him “crazy.”
“I hated Black Panther. It makes me crazy. It gives young black kids the idea that this is something to believe in. Bullshit. It’s utter bullshit,” Gillium said in an interview with IndieWire. “I think the people who made it have never been to Africa. They went and got some stylist for some African pattern fabrics and things. But I just I hated that movie, partly because the media were going on about the importance of bullshit.”
A word to Gilliam…. director Ryan Coogler and his Black Panther team actually took a trip to Africa to find inspiration. As noted by Complex, the majority of the film was shot in Atlanta, but some aerial shots were filmed in Argentina, South Africa, Zambia, and Uganda.
“Black Panther” was both commercially and critically successful, earning over $1 billion worldwide. When asked if he believes the hype around the movie was simply “identity politics,” Gilliam replied “it makes my blood boil.” But his hate extends to superhero movies overall.
“There isn’t room or money for a greater range of films. You make a film for over $150 million or less than $10 [million]. Where’s all this other stuff? It doesn’t exist anymore,” the director said, referencing the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “I make films where I’m trying to make people think. I mean, I try to entertain them enough that they don’t fall asleep on me, and they’re there to make you think and look at the world in a different way, hopefully, and consider possibilities. Those films don’t do that.”
Back in 2010, the “12 Monkeys” director also voiced his hatred for James Cameron’s “Avatar.”
“There are so many small, beautiful film-makers and actors and directors with so much potential that just can’t get a look in because the studios are pumping all their money into these huge projects,” he said. “There are such incredible lower-budget films that are magical, but we’ve got our work cut out with things like Avatar coming out. How are these young talents supposed to get a look in without the budget? That’s the sad thing, because they are just as good.”