Guardians of the Galaxy: James Gunn thanks Steven Spielberg for shoutout

Guardians of the Galaxy was a smash success when it premiered in 2014, garnering worldwide acclaim and a hefty $773 million box office tally. Two years later, writer-director James Gunn is perhaps most delighted by Steven Spielberg’s recent rave review of the movie.

“Probably the greatest compliment of my life,” Gunn wrote on Facebook after reading Spielberg’s Cannes interview with Brazilian website Omelete. Spielberg, who’s been vocal in the past about his lack of faith in the future of superhero films, cited Guardians as a standout exception.

“I really like Richard Donner’s Superman, [Christopher] Nolan’s Dark Knight, and the first Iron Man movie, but the superhero movie that impressed me was Guardians of the Galaxy,” Spielberg said. “When it ended, I left the cinema with the feeling that I had just experienced something new, free of cynicism and without concern for being gritty when necessary.”

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Gunn, a longtime fan of Spielberg’s, was thrilled by the comments, taking to Facebook to share his gratitude for the acclaimed filmmaker’s kind words. “I learned what a director was because as a kid I loved Raiders of the Ark so much I wondered who the guy was behind it all,” Gunn wrote. “I’m making movies today because of it.”

See Gunn’s post below.

https://www.facebook.com/