Illustrated by Neil Jamieson They were the B movies, the movies about killers or creatures that were dismissed even as they shaped popular culture. But in 2026, the movies called “genre films” took hold of the conversation and box office like never before. Heck, they even went legit, winning Oscars. (Sinners, Weapons, anybody?) To mark the moment, The Hollywood Reporter surveyed key genre players, studied the box office and considered cultural impact to rank the 30 most influential directors working in the space today.
There were guidelines: Some filmmakers, even though they helped create modern culture, are in a class of their own or have transcended genre (Spielberg, Nolan, Villeneuve). People working strictly in franchises these days also were not considered (e.g., Cameron). The comic book/superhero movie, meanwhile, is a behemoth that is a genre unto itself (so no Russo brothers or Destin Daniel Cretton).
The focus also is on directors who have released a movie in the past two or so years or have one coming soon (sorry, Jordan Peele and James Wan). And it is disappointing to note, by us and by our consultants, that too few women are getting the shot at making these types of movies (but are making scarily good things in the world of TV, like Widow’s Bay, or on streaming or VOD platforms).
What is genre, anyway? There’s no hard-and-fast definition. It depends on whom you ask. Horror, certainly. But there are certain intangibles to a movie, such as a scrappy feel to the filmmaking. Maybe a hint (or more) of some dirt underneath its fingernails. To paraphrase a Supreme Court justice, you know genre when you see it.
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Lee Cronin
Image Credit: Savion Washington/Variety/Getty Images Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Cronin broke out with 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, which grossed $147 million globally. A favorite of Jason Blum and James Wan, he got the name-brand treatment with Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, another solid performer this year that made audiences uncomfortable with its body horror.
The movie my parents didn’t let me watch: “Trainspotting. Because of the drug use. Little did they know I had split the signal from the VHS player, so when they watched it downstairs, I also watched it on my 14-inch portable TV in my bedroom.”
The recent movie scene I’m jealous that I didn’t direct: “The karaoke scene in Project Hail Mary. That entire film blew my mind,and I’d love to see it win best picture. That scene in particular was so simple and human amongst the rest of the wonderful spectacle.”
After an intense day of filming, I unwind by: “Worrying about the next day.”
The prop I took home without permission was: “A tiny ashtray from the police station in The Mummy. A 1970s wooden one. I also have the sarcophagus in the hallway of my house, but that was way harder to steal.”
