Peter Jackson and Hobbit screenwriter Philippa Boyens recently stopped by Moviefone for an interview in the wake of the release of The Hobbit: The Battle Of Five Armies. The interview covers a wide array of topics, from the merits of The Exorcist III to the possibility of a Lord Of The Rings theme park to why the multiple endings in The Return Of The King were earned, so please stop asking about them. Jackson also gave some insight into his feelings about an industry so obsessed with franchises that it allowed him to make a lumbering, self-serious trilogy out of one novel:
“I don’t really like the Hollywood blockbuster bandwagon that exists right now. The industry and the advent of all the technology, has kind of lost its way. It’s become very franchise driven and superhero driven. I’ve never read a comic book in my life so I’m immediately at a disadvantage and I have no interest in that.”
The interview doesn’t make clear whether Jackson thinks his own technology-driven blockbuster franchise is part of the problem. But he does mention that he’s not interested in doing a “Marvel film,” so he can probably be counted out for Thor 4. Jackson does say he’s looking forward to making some smaller movies in his native New Zealand, where he’ll be able shake his head sadly at all of the Hollywood directors wasting their time on meaningless franchises, relieved that he got out before something like that happened to him.