Does Cary Fukunaga’s Name Have Enough Pull for Audiences?
Is Cary Fukunaga’s involvement enough to pull major audiences?
Cary Fukunaga’s career has seen some serious growth after True Detective’s first season. The director was already beginning to make a name for himself with films like Sin Nombre and Jane Eyre, but True Detective proved to be the one to really get the ball rolling. At least from the outsider’s perspective. Since then, he has directed Beasts of no Nation, which rocked The Spirit Awards.
For the next year or so, Cary Fukunaga will be stepping back from film and returning to television. This is part of a deal that he and Anonymous Content made with Paramount. The first project will be the previously announced The Alienist, while the next will be the hot and fresh Maniac. With so much coming up, does Cary Fukunaga’s involvement guarantee success?
That’s difficult to say. The director arguably has not disappointed yet, and his visual style is distinctive and interesting in all the right ways. He hasn’t, however, helmed a blockbuster, and he dropped out of directing an adaptation of Stephen King’s It, a project that likely would have only increased his cultural cache.
Watch Cary Fukunaga talk about Beasts of no Nation:
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Fukunaga wants his work to be a part of his own personal brand. He would, understandably, like his name to draw attention. At this point he’s guaranteed to get it from the indie crowd, but it will still be difficult capturing the mainstream audience. True Detective fans will likely want to check out The Alienist and Maniac largely because they will be Cary Fukunaga projects, but for others the draw will likely be for different reasons.
The Alienist is based on a best-selling nobel, and Maniac will star Emma Stone and Jonah Hill. That’s enough to grab some attention. As it stands right now, Cary Fukunaga has a firm grasp of the independent film world, but that doesn’t guarantee greater success. If either of those projects ends up being a huge success it would go a long way to that goal.
It will be interesting to see what the ratings will be for the two upcoming series and whether or not Fukunaga will hang around for multiple seasons if they get the option. The Alienist is currently only scheduled as a miniseries.
Next: Taylor Kitsch will star in his own movie.
Does Cary Fukunaga’s involvement interest you, or do you find him to be overrated? Let us know.