Directors with poor track record, who surprised everyone with a great movie.

[OutOfBoose]

Do you know any?

 

[sweetre15]

Peter Jackson before Lord of the Rings

 

[chamber-music]

Peter Jackson didn't have a poor track record. I think Jackson was more of a surprise because Lord Of The Rings seemed like something outside his usual wheel house.

Irvin Kershner directing Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back comes to mind.

Paul W.S. Anderson's Event Horizon is still the best movie he has ever made in my opinion.

Stephen Norrington with Blade.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Do the Russo Brothers count? I don't think ANYONE expected the "You, Me & Dupree" guys to make two of the greatest films in the superhero genre ever.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Irvin Kershner directing Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back comes to mind.

Kershner was a very solid journey man director before Star Wars. Eyes of Laura Mars is a lot of fun.

 

[TheVileOne]

Jon Turteltaub, who did movies like 3 Ninjas and The Kid ends up doing two pretty awesome movies called National Treasure. Then he goes and does Sorcerer's Apprentice.

 

[-JKR-]

Peter Jackson before Lord of the Rings

Are you kidding me?

The Frighteners is my favorite movie of his! t:

 

[Abudefduf]

Tarsem Singh. He started his career with a bad movie... surprised and deceived everyone with his second one, The Fall... then he went back to his roots with Immortals, Mirror Mirror and apparently Self/Less, which I haven't seen.

Peter Jackson before Lord of the Rings

 

[Lighthouse]

I think Francis Lawerence was pretty mediocre until the Hunger Games films.