Ridley Scott Says ‘I’m Not a Filmmaker, I’m an Influencer’

Ridley Scott recently told The Times of London that he sees himself not as a “filmmaker,” but as an “influencer.”

“Every time, you are vulnerable,” Scott said when asked to identify a through line in his work. “Also, I never want to repeat myself and all my films have been on the money. I’ve been ahead of the game frequently and, if you’re ahead of the game, you’re an influencer. So I’m not a filmmaker, I’m an influencer.”

Scott, a three-time Oscar-nominated director, has certainly flexed his influence throughout his years in Hollywood with immortal classics like “Blade Runner,” “Alien,” “Thelma & Louise,” and “Gladiator.” Earlier in the sit-down, he noted there are things he has yet to cross off his career checklist.

“I’ve never done a Western,” he said. “I have cast Hugh Jackman for my ‘Treasure Island’ adaptation. I want to do a musical and, also, have a marvelous film about the African elephant.”

Scott’s next film is “The Dog Stars” with Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley and Josh Brolin. He deemed his leading man Elordi “a big star” and said they “got on great.” He went on to imply that the reason he directed “The Dog Stars” was because he sensed tedious sameness in the type of stories coming out of Hollywood.

“Look, everything now is about a murdered girl in the woods, or an FBI agent who is better than anyone else — or a superhero,” Scott said. “Fuck me! There have to be other stories to tell.”

Scott will soon receive an honorary Oscar at November’s Governors Awards. Other recipients include Glenn Close and Disney’s first Black animator, Floyd Norman.