Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Before making a splash as a feature film director, Alex Garland wrote two of Danny Boyle’s great films28 Days Later, andSunshine.In the 2010s, he wrote the Andrew Garfield romance filmNever Let Me Goand the modern iteration of Judge Dredd titledDredd. He made his directorial debut with the sci-fi thrillerEx-Machinawhich has been considered one of the best sci-fi films of the 2010s.
Garland was a novelist before stepping into Hollywood with three novels under his name includingThe Coma,The Tesseract,andThe Beach. The latter proved to be the most popular and successful one among the three. However, Garland didn’t expect the novel to become as big as it did and it made him uncomfortable.
Alex Garland Did Not Enjoy The Fame That Came With The Success ofThe Beach
Before his foray into films, Alex Garland published his first novelThe Beachin 1996. The novel set in Thailand chronicles the journey of a young backpacker in search of an idyllic beach, and his camaraderie with other like-minded backpackers he meets along the way. The book became a sleeper hit and Garland talked about the success it achieved in an interview withThe Guardian.
“An absolute f—king MASTERPIECE”: Alex Garland’s New Film Proves Cillian Murphy’s ‘28 Days Later’ Writer Only Gets Better With Time
Garland stated that while the book received mixed reviews when it was published, the book slowly began to find more and more admirers through word of mouth and became hugely popular. He also admitted that he felt immediately uncomfortable by the unexpected popularity of his book. He said,
“What happened to that book was genuinely a surprise and it was a surprise to everybody. What really happened is it came out, it did all right, it got some good reviews, it got some bad reviews. Then some months after it came out, I started hearing, because I was a big backpacker, about people in Thailand reading it and passing it among themselves. This is the pre-internet period; it was a proper word-of-mouth thing.”
“It’s going to p-ss a bunch of people off”: Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War’ Has a Surprising Connection to 1 Earlier Film Starring Jessie Buckley
While Garland is happy about the success of the book, he does not like the fame and popularity that came with it. Garland’s book was adapted into a feature film starringLeonardo DiCapriotitledThe Beachin 2000, directed by Danny Boyle. The film received mixed/negative reviews but became a box-office success. He earned aRazzie nominationfor his performance in the film.
Alex Garland Might Not Return to Directing AfterCivil War
To date,Alex Garlandhas directed four feature filmsEx Machina, Annihilation, Men,andCivil War.The latter is his latest film and recently premiered at SXSW, receiving positive reviews from audiences. However, the director has claimed that he is not planning to direct again in the foreseeable future.
“We don’t need it explained”: Alex Garland Refuses to Go Deep for Civil War That Might Have Saved the Movie from a Massive Controversy
In an interview withThe Guardian, the director stated that while he still loves movies, the challenges of making them, the responsibility to deliver a good one, and dealing with his actors and crew on set made him fall out of love with making them. he said,
“I’m not planning to direct again in the foreseeable future… I do actually love film, but filmmaking doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It exists in a life and also in a broader context. The pressure doesn’t come from the money. It comes from the fact that you’re asking people to trust something that, on the face of it, doesn’t look very trustworthy. The deep sense of responsibility to cast and crew literally keeps me awake at night”
Garland serves as a co-director (he insists he’s not directing) on the upcoming filmWarfarewhich will be Ray Mendoza’s directorial debut. While he may drop out of directing, Garland is still active as a screenwriter. He is set to write the sequel to28 Days Latertitled28 Years Laterwith Danny Boyle returning to direct.
Rahul Thokchom
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1276
Rahul Thokchom is a senior content writer at Fandomwire who is passionate about covering the world of pop culture and entertainment. He has a Masters Degree in English that contributes to the richness and creativity in his works.
More from Rahul Thokchom
“His team is non stop with trying to paint him as the goody two shoes”: Jennifer Lopez Gets Surprise Fan Support as Ben Affleck’s Controversial Past Surfaces Amid Divorce
“I don’t know what I’m looking for anymore”: Playing Homelander for So Long Has Made Antony Starr Make a Confession That’s Devastating News for DCU Fans Hoping He Plays an Iconic Justice League Villain
“We didn’t have a lot of money..”: Eric Bana’s Hulk Was a Big Threat to Will Smith’s $273 Million Movie Along With Keanu Reeves’s Highest Grossing The Matrix Movie
Recommended
Gen V Season 2: How Many Episodes Are in the Prime Video Series?
5 Addictive Discord Games That Will Hook Your Whole Squad
Helen Mirren Agrees With Ana de Armas for Next James Bond With Feminist Take
Keeper Trailer: Tatiana Maslany Tries to Survive in Longlegs Director’s Next Horror Flick
Hollow Knight: Silksong Release Set for 2025, Demo Playable at Gamescom
Fact Check: Has Activision Announced Call of Duty: Black Ops Remastered?
Alex GarlandLeonardo DiCaprio
