For better or worse, directors are often seen as the authors of any film.
As a result, their names also appear in many publicity as well, and often become key to how people perceive the film in the years after its release.
However, it's also important to point out that there are many such examples in Hollywood history where directors are fired or left during filmmaking, forcing others to step in and take over, a phenomenon that raises interesting questions about the nature of filmmakers.
Justice League (2017)
While the DC Extended Universe hasn't been as successful as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it still has a lot of powerful movies.
Justice League is one of the less popular films, and it's known for the drama of its production process.
Although Zach Snyder was initially nominated for directorship, after his daughter died, he had to leave production and control shifted to Joss Whedon.
The final film was very different from Snyder's original vision, and Snyder's vision was eventually released by himself, so there was a later director's cut version.
Solo: Prequel to Star Wars (2018)
Few media franchises are as popular and successful as Star Wars, but that doesn't mean every one of its films is a success.
Such is the case with Solo: A Star Wars Story, one of the less successful titles in the series.
While Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were supposed to direct the film, they were eventually fired for very vague reasons (the official interpretation is "creative difference"), and they were eventually replaced by Ron Howard, who was considered a competent director, if not a truly famous director.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Wizard of Oz is arguably one of the best films of all time, and it remains an iconic example of classic Hollywood filmmaking.
However, true fans know that the film encountered some difficulties during its production, most of which revolved around the director.
The film's two main directors are Victor Fleming and King Vidor, both of whom are best known for working with MGM.
When Fleming was called in to start filming the epic film Gone with the Wind, the latter replaced the former (although the film was largely complete at the time).
The Western Enforcer (1976)
Western Enforcer is one of the most iconic and famous Westerns of all time, and it's also widely regarded as one of Clint Eastwood's best characters.
One thing the film may not be known about is that it encountered a number of difficulties during its production, notably the conflict between Eastwood and the original director Philip Kaufman.
The latter's great attention to detail, much to Eastwood's displeasure, eventually forced the studio to fire the original director, who later took over the role himself.
Ratatouille (2007)
Ratatouille is often considered one of the best films Pixar has ever made, and its depiction of Paris and the interesting story about a rat eager to become a chef are easy to see why.
Considering that it changed directors during production, its success is even more compelling.
At the time, studio executives thought they weren't too confident in Bob Peterson's vision and instead handed it over to Bob Bird, who would make the film as successful as it is now.
Fear of Las Vegas (1998)
Fear of Las Vegas is a perfect example of a cult film, as it wasn't particularly successful when it was first released, but eventually became very popular among certain audiences.
However, like many other films, the film had a number of difficulties in production, especially considering that the original author, Hunter S. Thompson, was a notoriously difficult person to deal with.
Although Alex Cox was originally signed as a director, he was fired by the studio and replaced by Terry Gilliam, who essentially recreated the film from head to toe.
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Gone with the Wind is arguably one of the most important films of all time, and it's a testament to classic Hollywood tricks.
Although the film is famous, it also encountered many difficulties in production, especially when it came to the directorial position.
Although it was initially assigned to George Cook, he was soon replaced by Victor Fleming.
There are many reasons for this change, from disagreements between producer David O. Selznick and Cook to clashes between Cook and star Clark Gable.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Bohemian Rhapsody is considered one of the best musical biographical films, and much of it was inspired by Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Marek.
However, the film had some problems during production, especially considering that its original director, Bryan Singer, had earned an unpleasant reputation for his actions on set.
After being sacked, he was replaced by Dexter Fletcher, but Singh continued to be praised.
Spartacus (1960)
There are many great films set in ancient Rome, but Spartacus remains one of the most powerful and enduring films.
The film focuses on the protagonist and his struggle against Roman tyranny, and it remains a testament to cinematic power and the skill of Stanley Kubrick.
However, Kubrick was not the original director.
He replaced Anthony Mann, who had multiple altercations and clashes with lead actor and producer Kirk Douglas.
In fact, Mann was fired after only a short time on the set, and the film was crucial to Kubrick's career.
Superman II (1980)
Superman is still one of the best superheroes ever featured in the movie.
While most of his appearances on the big screen have been successful, he has also encountered a lot of trouble on several occasions.
In Superman 2, mainly by Richard Downer and his relationships with other creators, this became increasingly difficult as production progressed.
He was eventually replaced by Richard Lester, a decision that turned out to be controversial among many of those involved in the first film.
——END——