Joss Whedon, Josh Trank, and the pressures on directors

Has being the director of a film in a major franchise become a high-stakes gamble?

Ryan looks at the pressures faced by modern filmmakers.

The process of making the behemoth that isAvengers: Age Of Ultronhas clearly taken its toll on Joss Whedon.

Marc Webb went from the offbeat rom-com(500) Days Of SummertoThe Amazing Spider-Manand its sequel.

Colin Trevorrow, who made the indie comedySafety Not Guaranteed,has just finishedJurassic World,out this summer.

Theyre dealing with larger budgets with each passing year.

Theyre having to cope with the pressure placed on them by producers, studio heads and financiers.

And then theres the Greek chorus of social media and the web in general to contend with.

These days, being a Hollywood director requires the fortitude of a superhero.