10 Directors Who We Want To See Working in Virtual Reality

The three-time Oscar winner got his start in indie dramas like The Wedding Banquet, Sense and Sensibility, and The Ice Storm but soon proved his ability to examine human behavior and desire in larger scope with films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, and Life of Pi. He’s even had the experience making a big-budget action movie with the CGI-heavy Hulk. With his use of lush visuals and thoughtful writing, Lee could very well be the thinking person’s virtual reality director.

Peter Jackson didn’t invent Middle Earth, but he certainly brought it to the masses in a way even J.R.R. Tolkein couldn’t do himself. The original Lord of the Rings trilogy was a cinematic triumph, only slightly sullied by the overwrought three-part adaptation of The Hobbitt. But just imagine if you had the chance to cavort with those little guys, elves, and even orcs? It might bring back the wonder and joy we all felt the first time we set our eyes on the Shire.

J.J. Abrams left us bewildered with Lost, blew our minds with his reboot of Star Trek, and is leaving us anxious and excited for his upcoming Star Wars films. He’s exactly the kind of director who could make the silly and overblown notion of virtual reality balanced with style and substance.

The Australian director has eclectic taste — he’s responsible for both the Mad Max franchise and Babe, for crying out loud — and his cinematic vision tends to be expansive and broad. Can you imagine feeling like you’re in the middle of one of Mad Max: Fury Road‘s car chases, driving alongside Charlize Theron or possibly avoiding the fire propelling from that electric guitar?

The Oscar-winning Cuarón also has an eclectic style, creating lush and romantic worlds in each of his films wether they be sultry romantic dramas (like Great Expectations and Y Tu Mama También), children’s films (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and A Little Princess), or dystopian thrillers (Children of Men). His most recent triumph was the spell-binding and tense Gravity, which already made audiences feel like they, too, were trapped in space. Now just imagine making that intensity even more realistic.

Speaking of intense: can you imagine a Panic Room style home invasion scenario in which you’re the homeowner — or even one of the intruders? David Fincher gets our hearts pumping with thrillers like Seven, Zodiac, and Gone Girl, and his visually stimulating Fight Club and The Social Network keep his audience at a healthy level of unease. Now imagine stepping into his green-tinted world for an hour or two.

She may be a bit of a wild card without the experiences of the guys on this list, but DuVernay has proven herself worthy with her incredible features Middle of Nowhere and Selma, the latter picking up an Oscar nod for Best Picture (despite DuVernay herself being snubbed for a Best Director nomination). She’s one of the most exciting young directors working in Hollywood today. Just imagine how illuminating her work could be for the regular American if they were given the chance to see the black experience from her perspective in a virtual reality format.

The indie prince of twee has been churning out quirky and visually exhausting features for nearly two decades, and the film establishment has finally taken notice with his latest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, picking up four Oscars after being nominated for nine (including Best Picture and Best Director). What other indie filmmaker would be a perfect fit for the virtual reality space? Just think of all of the vintage clothes, the groovy dance numbers, or the cavernous settings — wouldn’t you like a tour of the Tenenbaums’ house?

Let’s face it: nobody does a summer blockbuster like Spielberg, who practically invented the genre with his breakthrough film Jaws. Whether it’s aliens, robots, dinosaurs, or historical figures, Spielberg is a genius at putting the audience right into a film and creating a sense of wonder with each of his features. Getting a major player like Spielberg into the virtual reality space would be a game-changer, a move that would definitely legitimize and popularize the format.

Guys: what if you could go to Pandora? Or visit the ruins of the Titanic? Or even get chased by aliens or a T-1000? James Cameron might be the Hollywood director to move over to the virtual reality space considering his phenomenal ability to create entire worlds that already feel incredibly real. Hell, if he plans to make those Avatar sequels after all, maybe this is the best way to do them.

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