Peter Weir is an absolute legend. This is the man who directed “Witness,” “The Truman Show,” “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” and “Dead Poets Society,” among many more.
With that said, the four-time Best Director nominee hasn’t made a film since 2010’s “The Way Back,” and he’s likely never going to make another one again.
Weir was the guest of honor at the Festival de la Cinémathèque in Paris. For the occasion, the Aussie filmmaker is looking back on his best films, and was inevitably asked about his 14 year absence in cinema:
I am retired. Why did I stop cinema? Because, quite simply, I have no more energy.
There you have it. Maybe an itch will come in the next few years, but I wouldn’t bet on Weir coming back to making cinema ever again.
Late in 2022, the Sydney Morning Herald attempted to locate the reclusive Weir, who was about to receive an honorary Oscar, and, much to their surprise, were successful in tracking him down for an interview.
It was a great chat, but let’s zero in on whether Weir believed his career was a thing of the past. When asked about retirement …
For film directors, like volcanoes, there are three major stages: active, dormant and extinct. I think I’ve reached the latter! Another generation is out there calling “action” and “cut” and good luck to them.
Last he was part of a project, Weir was attached to direct “Shantaram” starring Johnny Depp until he left the project due to “creative differences.” Based on Gregory David Roberts' autobiographical novel, the film would have depicted how he set up shop in the slums of Mumbai, got entangled with organized crime and finally ended up In Afghanistan
Weir is turning 80 in the summer and currently resides in his home country of Australia. Although plenty of filmmakers in his age range are still active (Scorsese, Eastwood, Scott, Miyazaki, Allen, Coppola) it does sound as though he’s definitely called it quits. A real shame, but he’s given us so many great films to rewatch.