Marvel Studios/HBO
When you’re half of the directorial team that presided over the highest-grossing movie in the history of cinema, it’s safe to say that from that point on, you’ve got a certain level of clout when you speak on the entertainment industry.
Such is the case of Joe Russo, who — along with his brother Anthony — directed Avengers: Endgame, and now, as a result, carries quite a bit of weight behind his words.
So, when asked during a question and answer session about the Game of Thrones finale, Russo — who also directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War — chose his words quite carefully.
When asked by an audience member — who said Game of Thrones final season “did not meet any expectations” — what he thought of the iconic HBO series’ stretch run, Russo was quick to clarify that he did not share the question asker’s opinion.
“That’s your opinion. I just want to make that clear. That is not my opinion,” Russo began.
“Look, it’s interesting being an artist in today’s world with social media because it’s an unprecedented level of ownership that the viewer feels over the material,” he said.
“They made the choices that they wanted to make with that show and people felt, what I think that they felt, was that they didn’t feel it was seeded properly throughout the series,” he shared. “I loved all the choices. I thought they were crazy and unexpected, and that’s what I want out of a narrative, but I see where people feel like they were upset.” [ComicBook.com]
Russo’s comments should come as no surprise, as Hollywood’s directors and writers tend to stick together and not publicly bash another’s project.
That said, having the man who helmed the world’s highest-grossing film ought to be some sort of consolation prize for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, as they’ve essentially gotten ripped by anyone else who speaks on the series.
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Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Contact him: eric@brobible.com.