The two feature films director Debra Granik has made are markedly similar in many ways. There's "Winter's Bone," a likely Oscar contender this year, that follows a 17-year-old Ozark Mountain girl who has to track down her meth-dealing father to protect the lives of her depressed mother and her siblings. And then there's "Down to the Bone," released in 2004, that follows a working class, cocaine-using mother of two who checks into rehab and has to try to resist the temptations of drugs and deal with an affair she's having with her nurse.
So when The Los Angeles Times reported that Granik's next planned film is a reboot of "Pippi Longstocking" (pictured), were were just a wee bit surprised. But as the Times goes on to point out, the transition makes perfect sense. Longstocking is one of "fiction's original tomboys," and the choice to make a film about her continues Granik's streak of creating strong female heroines who rise above the tropes of typical Hollywood roles for women.
Still, Granik isn't the first director to follow up one film with another that's drastically different in both tone and theme. After the jump, see five other directors who've done just that -- to varying results.
Seth Gordon
With the documentary "The King of Kong," Seth Gordon won over our "Donkey Kong"-loving hearts, but his follow-up film took us completely by surprise. Gordon transitioned right into the romantic comedy genre with "Four Christmases," and (though he did direct several episodes of documentary-style TV like "Parks and Recreation," "The Office" and "Modern Family"), his next feature is the comedy "Horrible Bosses." At least he did return to his documentary roots to film a segment of "Freakonomics."
Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson was best known for his B-rated horror films when he was announced as director of the ambitious adaptation of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. His passion for the material paid off and the series made billions worldwide, so when he followed it up with "King Kong" we could see the connection. "The Lovely Bones"? Not so much. At least he's returning to his quality fantasy style with the upcoming adaptation of "The Hobbit."
Darren Aronofsky
It's not that Darren Aronofsky's previous films are all one specific type of film, because they're not. Sure, they all screw with our minds in one way or another and are all incredibly ambitious, but there's no clearly delineated connection from "Pi" to "The Fountain" to "Black Swan." Still, choosing to do the latest "X-Men" movie "The Wolverine" seems like a big mainstream change for the director, though we'll have to see the finished product to find out if it's really as un-Aronofsky as it seems.
Marc Webb
Here is another surprising indie filmmaker turned comic-book-movie director: Marc Webb burst into Hollywood with the adorable not-a-love-story romantic comedy "(500) Days of Summer," and then was announced as the director of the untitled "Spider-man" reboot. It was a surprising twist, but an exciting one because Webb's directing style is light and fun and could be exactly what the "Spider-man" franchise needs.
Kevin Smith
Best known for directing screwball comedies, Kevin Smith caught us all by surprise when we found out that his latest flick, "Red State," is a full-fledged horror flick. Though I guess to some "Cop Out" was a horror flick in its own right.
Which director surprised you with their film choices? Are you excited Debra Granik is making a film about Pippi Longstocking?