Variety Studio: Directors on Directors

Synopsis

PBS SoCal and Variety take you inside the biggest movies and T.V. shows of the past year through candid conversations with today's hottest actors. Hosted by Variety Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis and Variety Chief Correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister, each episode brings together pairs of directors engaging in intimate one-on-one discussions about their craft and work.

First Air Date: 2021-03-03

Last Air Date: 2024-12-20

Number of Seasons: 5

Number of Episodes: 26

Top Cast

Spike Lee as Self
James Cameron as Self
Ben Affleck as Self
Denis Villeneuve as Self
Bradley Cooper as Self
Jason Bateman as Self
Judd Apatow as Self
David Fincher as Self
Michael B. Jordan as Self
Martin McDonagh as Self

Seasons

Season 1 (2021) - (5 Episodes)

Season 2 (2021) - (5 Episodes)

Season 3 (2022) - (6 Episodes)

Season 4 (2023) - (5 Episodes)

Season 5 (2024) - (5 Episodes)

Season 1 (2021)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: Judd Apatow Talks to Jason Bateman About Being the ‘Anti-David Fincher’ (2021-03-03)

Judd Apatow partners with long-time comedic actor Jason Bateman in Variety's "Directors on Directors" conversation series. The duo broke down their entire process from the page to the edit bay, providing a look behind Apatow's "The King of Staten Island" and Netflix's "Ozark" which Bateman both directs and stars in.
Ep. 2: Regina King & Melina Matsoukas Pave the Way for Black female Filmmakers (2021-03-04)

In conversation for Variety’s “Directors on Directors” series, Regina King and “Queen and Slim” director Melina Matsoukas share how their make-it-work attitudes have paid dividends as they crafted their feature directorial debuts. King and Matsoukas belong to a special order of visual storytellers: Black women taking charge behind the scenes and working to make a way for those to come after them.
Ep. 3: Ben Affleck Interviews David Fincher On His Work Ethic, Legacy And ‘Mank’ (2021-03-05)

For once, Ben Affleck gets to ask the questions. That’s how the actor-director framed his duty of leading a conversation with longtime friend and “Gone Girl” boss David Fincher, the esteemed director whose Netflix film “Mank” has emerged as a top awards contender for 2021.
Ep. 4: Emerald Fennell & Olivia Wilde Have an Ant-Assholes Policy (2021-03-06)

Known for choosing stories that subvert the feminine, "Booksmart" director Olivia Wilde and "Promising Young Woman" director Emerald Fennell launch into a deep discussion about filmmaking on Variety‘s “Directors on Directors.” Wilde and Fennell discuss the deeply rooted love stories of female friendships, learning to trust their instincts and banning assholes from their sets.
Ep. 5: Oliver Stone & Spike Lee (2021-03-07)

Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” captured a critical point of view lost from film. After decades of producing blockbuster war stories and award-winning battle scene epics, the story of the Black Vietnam veteran has been largely neglected by Hollywood. Before “Da 5 Bloods” was a Spike Lee joint, however, it was titled “The Last Tour” and Oliver Stone was attached to direct.