John McTiernan reinvented the action movie in the ‘80s with “Predator,” and “Die Hard.” The ‘90s fared just as well for him with “The Hunt For Red October,” “Die Hard With A Vengeance,” “The Last Action Hero,” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.”
The very popular Blank Check podcast have also been looking back at McTiernan’s career, their latest episode had David Lowery (“A Ghost Story”) talking about “The 13th Warrior,” which was an influence on “The Green Knight.” After an initial murky reception, that film is somewhat getting reappraised now.
Talk about director’s jail …
The aughts weren’t so kind though for McTiernan, for a number of reasons, “Basic” and “Rollerball” tanked, but he was also convicted of illegally spying on his “Rollerball” producer and sent to jail in 2013. He was eventually released in 2014 and served the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. Oh, and he also declared bankruptcy on his assets.
Despite all that, he has a fervent fanbase, especially in Europe, where his films are still revered and he is seen as an auteur with a distinct cinematic voice. A McTiernan retrospective is about to take place in Finland where the filmmaker is being celebrated for his accomplished body of work.
McTiernan spoke to Finnish outlet Helsingin Sanomat and tackled why he hasn’t directed a film in almost 20 years. He implies that the reason why is the shape-shifting change within the industry. McTiernan says he’s still getting plenty of offers to direct, but none of them are for good films.
McTiernan adds that he is currently working on three new scripts, all of which might never see the light of day, but he will never quit. He says he plans to direct several more films "before I die."
McTiernan was supposed to shoot “Taut Ceci Foxtrot” in 2022, but something happened and that film was nixed. It was supposed to star Uma Thurman and Laurence Fishburne and tell the story of a group of rebels who set out to kill the oligarchs and military thugs that terrorized a war-torn planet in the remote Tau Ceti solar system.
“I have continued to write and I believe I have strength, years left. I am just as angry now as when I was 19,” adds the 73-year-old McTiernan.
I actually find that number optimistic. Tickets for “Digger” go on sale next Tuesday, and presales will give us a better picture of how bad it’s looking.