Ridley Scott: ‘I’m not a filmmaker, I’m an influencer’

The legendary director channeling his inner Gen Z

"Every time, you are vulnerable. 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 told The Times of London.

Forty-nine years of Ridley Scott not repeating himself

Scott’s feature debut came 49 years ago with the British historical drama The Duellists, and the films since have included Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Thelma and Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000) and The Martian (2015).

He's covered many of genres, such as: science fiction, crime drama, buddy road movie and historical epic, each of which the industry then imitated for years.

However, he is now determined to break that 49-year directing streak, as Screen Rant reported this weekend.

The framing also says something about the business he is still working in.

This is an industry currently picking over The Odyssey’s box office run and the stalled Barbie sequel, where the safest bet is usually whatever worked last time. Scott’s pitch is that he has never taken it.

Whether “influencer” reads as promotion or demotion depends on your age.

Either way, a director of 49 years has just described his life’s work with a job title that did not exist for most of it.