History Main / AuteurLicense

** And, he actually said "screw you" to the Director's Guild in 1981 (after they demanded he put credits at the beginning of ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'') and yet still manages to make movies, albeit with other talent willing to defy the union. This, sadly, scotched plans for [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Steven Spielberg directing]] ''[[ReturnOfTheJedi]]''.

* {{Peter Jackson}} earned his license with [[{{The Lord Of The Rings}} The Lord of The Rings]], which then allowed him to make a 3-hour {{King Kong}} movie with a $200 million budget.

* Given the [[CashCowFranchise wild success]] of their movies, {{Pixar}} has earned theirs, especially with the release of movies like ''WallE'' and ''{{Up}}''

-->The producers gained his confidence by "catering to his every whim", providing him with obscure research material, including a book titled ''Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia'', an audiotape of ''Kodo: Heartbeat Drummers of Japan'', information on the Navajo code talkers... The producers said, "Malick's Guadalcanal would be a Paradise Lost, an Eden, raped by the green poison, as Terry used to call it, of war."[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_Red_Line_(1998_film)]]

* SeltzerAndFriedberg received one after ''Date Movie'', and have yet to lose it, despite the vocal {{Hatedom}} they get.

* After a decade of often much-acclaimed films, both small- and large-scale (ranging from ''MASH'' to ''Nashville'' to ''3 Women'') Robert Altman got this for 1980's ''Film/{{Popeye}}'' -- a live-action, big-budget family musical based on the comic strip and cartoon hero -- via super-producer Robert Evans. Unfortunately, the resultant film had a long, difficult shoot and got ''very'' mixed notices from critics, and couldn't gross enough money to prove profitable; Altman spent the remainder of the decade making much smaller-scale films that attracted little attention from anyone besides film critics -- and it was just getting started! He didn't make his comeback until ''The Player'' in 1992.
* TimBurton got his after ''[[Film/{{Batman}} Batman]]'' in 1989. ''PeeWeesBigAdventure'' and ''{{Beetlejuice}}'' had both been bigger-than-expected hits for Warner Brothers, but he still faced a good deal of ExecutiveMeddling on ''Batman''. Once it was a megahit, he became a big enough name that not only he given a good deal of creative freedom on ''EdwardScissorhands'', but it was his previous track record and now-signature style that was used to sell it to audiences. Although some of his subsequent films have been critical and/or commercial disappointments, he's had enough successes to hang on to the license.

* Francis Ford Coppola earned his license by adapting, producing, and directing the awesome one-two punch of ''TheGodfather Part II'' and ''ApocalypseNow''. He used his newfound clout and money to build his own studio, Zoetrope, where he planned to house an artistic community, turning out medium-budget passion projects. Unfortunately, his first such film, ''OneFromTheHeart'', went cataclysmically over budget. Unlike the similarly out-of-control ''ApocalypseNow'', ''Heart'' flopped mightily upon release, and Coppola pulled it from theatres after a few weeks. Zoetrope was sold, Coppola's license was revoked, and he spent a good chunk of the 80s and 90s as a director for hire, trying to forge his way back to financial solvency. He has recently taken to financing his films with the proceeds from sales of his eponymous wine.
* MichaelBay has became heavily associated and famous for his brain-dead, over the top action movies with huge explosions. He gain his Auteur License since Armageddon, his visual style has been heavily copied in modern action film. He even made fun of his filmmaking style in a Verizon commercial.

When an Auteur license is revoked, see FallenCreator.

The Auteur License is valid for as long as the Auteur director's work continues to make money at the box office. For some Auteurs this can last quite a long time, while others [[FallenCreator have had theirs revoked]] before their first piece is even fully realized. More often than not the magic of the first groundbreaking film is [[ToughActToFollow impossible to reproduce]] and result can range from something mediocre to box office bomb to the complete bankruptcy of the production company or studio. At this state the Auteur License can be revoked and the Auteur will be forced back into the art house world or stuck making movies with much much less [[CreativityLeash creative control]]. However there have been quite a number of Auteurs that can maintain the success of their first films and build their style into a valuable brand that can even insulate their License from the occasional failure.

* After a decade of often much-acclaimed films, both small- and large-scale (ranging from ''MASH'' to ''Nashville'' to ''3 Women'') Robert Altman got this for 1980's ''Popeye'' -- a live-action, big-budget family musical based on the comic strip and cartoon hero -- via super-producer Robert Evans. Unfortunately, the resultant film had a long, difficult shoot and got ''very'' mixed notices from critics, and couldn't gross enough money to prove profitable; Altman spent the remainder of the decade making much smaller-scale films that attracted little attention from anyone besides film critics -- and it was just getting started! He didn't make his comeback until ''The Player'' in 1992.

* GeorgeLucas had the run-of-the-mill star power with ''AmericanGraffiti''. He basically wrote, issued, and certified his license with [[StarWars some movie about a farm boy looking for his destiny]]. [[SarcasmMode The name escapes me]] but due to it's success, Lucas has made anything he wanted, anyway he wanted, since. Lucas even sets the terms for when his movies are released, at what theaters, and how the gross profits are divvied up.

** Since, you know, he owns his own studio. The last three films he directed were financed by Lucas himself, with Fox only distributing.

* Director MNightShyamalan had a breakout hit with ''TheSixthSense'' and was granted an Auteur License that allowed him to produce more of his signature TwistEnding films. While the next film ''{{Unbreakable}}'' achieved some success, and ''{{Signs}}'' was another hit. ''TheVillage'' made money but lost some critical respect. His next two films were outright flops, and Shyamalan became a target of mockery. His Auteur License was revoked right after he tried to show it off in ''LadyInTheWater'', and now he is having to make films from established franchises instead of his own stories.

* TimBurton got his after ''[[Film/{{Batman}} Batman]]'' in 1989. ''Pee-Wee's Big Adventure'' and ''Beetlejuice'' had both been bigger-than-expected hits for Warner Brothers, but he still faced a good deal of ExecutiveMeddling on ''Batman''. Once it was a megahit, he became a big enough name that not only he given a good deal of creative freedom on ''Edward Scissorhands'', but it was his previous track record and now-signature style that was used to sell it to audiences. Although some of his subsequent films have been critical and/or commercial disappointments, he's had enough successes to hang on to the license.

* Francis Ford Coppola earned his license by adapting, producing, and directing the awesome one-two punch of TheGodfather Part II and ''ApocalypseNow''. He used his newfound clout and money to build his own studio, Zoetrope, where he planned to house an artistic community, turning out medium-budget passion projects. Unfortunately, his first such film, ''OneFromTheHeart'', went cataclysmically over budget. Unlike the similarly out-of-control ''ApocalypseNow'', ''Heart'' flopped mightily upon release, and Coppola pulled it from theatres after a few weeks. Zoetrope was sold, Coppola's license was revoked, and he spent a good chunk of the 80s and 90s as a director for hire, trying to forge his way back to financial solvency. He has recently taken to financing his films with the proceeds from sales of his eponymous wine.

** Since, you know, he owns his own studio.
* In the beginning of his career, MartinScorsese cranked out a number of bonafide classics, (''TaxiDriver'', ''MeanStreets'', ''RagingBull'', etc). However, these were buffered by a number of financial flops, disallowing him the kind of carte blanche enjoyed by others on this page. However, since the release of ''Goodfellas'' in 1990, he's mostly been allowed to make his movies his way. [[GangsOfNewYork Mostly.]]

* WoodyAllen. He's practically had an auteur license since he started making movies forty-five years ago (his ''second'' movie was a kung-fu movie he bought and put gag subtitles on top of! And it was approved!). His big success with ''AnnieHall'' in 1977 is what made him untouchable, even after he made a string of movies generally considered mediocre in the late 1980s through early 2000s, and after the "[[WifeHusbandry marrying his]] [[ParentalIncest stepdaughter]]" incident that would've ended a lesser celebrity's career. The string of movies since 2005's ''MatchPoint'' are generally considered to be a comeback for him, but if he didn't have a strong case of this trope, he wouldn't have lasted long enough to have a comeback.

ProtectionFromEditors is a specific subtrope. See also FallenCreator, when an Auteur license is revoked.

See also PrimaDonnaDirector, when a big-name director has a (possibly justified) [[SmallNameBigEgo big ego]].

See also FallenCreator, when an Auteur license is revoked.

The Auteur License is valid for as long as the Auteur director's work continues to make money at the box office. For some Auteurs this can last quite a long time, while others have had theirs revoked before their first piece is even fully realized. More often than not the magic of the first groundbreaking film is [[ToughActToFollow impossible to reproduce]] and result can range from something mediocre to box office bomb to the complete bankruptcy of the production company or studio. At this state the Auteur License can be revoked and the Auteur will be forced back into the art house world or stuck making movies with much much less [[CreativityLeash creative control]]. However there have been quite a number of Auteurs that can maintain the success of their first films and build their style into a valuable brand that can even insulate their License from the occasional failure.

* After being forced to chop down the theatrical cuts of ''Aliens'' and ''TheAbyss'', JamesCameron got his after ''Terminator2''. It was renewed after ''{{Titanic}}'' became the highest-grossing film of all time. Now that he's topped that feat with ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', it's safe to say that Cameron has a lifetime pass because his films practically grant licenses to print money.

* StevenSpielberg after ''{{Jaws}}''. ''[[NineteenFortyOne Never]] [[{{Always}} lost]] [[{{Hook}} it]]'' [[SarcasmMode since]].
* ChristopherNolan after ''TheDarkKnight''. After ''Inception'', he's likely to hang on to it for a long time to come.
* Francis Ford Coppola earned his license by adapting, producing, and directing the awesome one-two punch of The Godfather Part II and ''ApocalypseNow''. He used his newfound clout and money to build his own studio, Zoetrope, where he planned to house an artistic community, turning out medium-budget passion projects. Unfortunately, his first such film, ''OneFromTheHeart'', went cataclysmically over budget. Unlike the similarly out-of-control ''ApocalypseNow'', ''Heart'' flopped mightily upon release, and Coppola pulled it from theatres after a few weeks. Zoetrope was sold, Coppola's license was revoked, and he spent a good chunk of the 80s and 90s as a director for hire, trying to forge his way back to financial solvency. He has recently taken to financing his films with the proceeds from sales of his eponymous wine.

* StevenSpielberg after ''{{Jaws}}''. ''[[{{1941}} Never]] [[{{Always}} lost]] [[{{Hook}} it]]'' [[SarcasmMode since]].

* StevenSpielberg after ''{{Jaws}}''. [[''1941''Never]] [[''Always''lost]] [[''Hook''it]] [[SarcasmMode since]].

* JamesCameron got one after ''TheTerminator'' (the original). It got renewed after ''{{Titanic}}'' succeeded beyond anyone's imagination in the box office. ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' has become the highest grossing movie of all time beating out his previous record with ''Titanic''. It's safe to say Cameron has a lifetime pass because his films practically grant licenses to print money.

* TimBurton finally got his after ''[[Film/{{Batman}} Batman]]'' in 1989. ''Pee-Wee's Big Adventure'' and ''Beetlejuice'' had both been bigger-than-expected hits for Warner Brothers, but he still faced a good deal of ExecutiveMeddling on ''Batman''. Once it was a megahit, he became a big enough name that not only he given a good deal of creative freedom on ''Edward Scissorhands'', but it was his previous track record and now-signature style that was used to sell it to audiences. Although some of his subsequent films have been critical and/or commercial disappointments, he's had enough successes to hang on to the license.

* StevenSpielberg after ''{{Jaws}}''. Never lost it since.

* ChristopherNolan after ''BatmanBegins''. After ''TheDarkKnight'' he'd be likely to hang on to it for a long time to come.

* In the 1970s, MartinScorsese cranked out hit after hit, (''TaxiDriver'', ''MeanStreets'', etc.) He then unleashed the Oscar-winning ''RagingBull''. Scorsese can now make any movie any way he chooses.
** Although ''NewYorkNewYork'' was a major flop from that same period, it didn't hurt him.

* Richard Kelly received one after ''DonnieDarko''. He held onto it for ''Domino'', but Hollywood tossed it in the shredder after ''SouthlandTales''.

* GeorgeLucas had the run-of-the-mill star power with ''AmericanGraffiti''. He basically wrote, issued, and certified his license with [[StarWars some movie about a farm boy looking for his destiny]]. [[SarcasmMode The name escapes me]] but due to it's success, Lucas has made anything he wanted, anyway he wanted, since. Lucas even sets the terms for when his movies are released, at what theaters, and how the gross profits are divvied up.

* In the 1970s, MartinScorcese cranked out hit after hit, (''TaxiDriver'', ''MeanStreets'', etc.) He then unleashed the Oscar-winning ''RagingBull''. Scorcese can now make any movie any way he chooses.

*JamesCameron got one after ''TheTerminator'' (the original). It got renewed after ''{{Titanic}}'' succeeded beyond anyone's imagination in the box office. We are about to see if it gets renewed again after ''Film/{{Avatar}}''.
** [[{{Understatement}} It did.]]
** It can be reasonably assumed at this point that Jame Cameron will ''never'' lose his licence.