Comicbook

Director Stephen Hopkins Talks Race, Comic Book Movies, & More!

Comicbook.com’s Adam Goldberg was able to sit with Race director Stephen Hopkins to talk about the […]

Comicbook.com’s Adam Goldberg was able to sit with Race director Stephen Hopkins to talk about the film and its place among the current capes and cowls filled film scene.

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Interestingly enough, Hopkins was involved in that very landscape at one point earlier in his career. As he says in the interview, he spent a great deal of time trying to get Doctor Strange made in the early 80’s. In the 90’s he took a crack at another icon, Marvel’s Spider-Man, but that never got off the ground either. His links to the art-form don’t stop there though, as he started out as storyboard artist before moving into film.

When asked about how Race, a movie that doesn’t feature anyone shooting beams out of their eyes or aliens trying to take over earth, would fare against the onslaught of comic book films filling cinemas this year, he had an interesting take on it.

“Stephan was just named in up and coming star thing recently, and all the other actors were in Marvel comic movies or science fiction movies because those are the movies that are speaking to people right now, because I think all good science fiction and comics have all done the same thing. They’ve always brought up social issues without pushing it in your face” It’s a larger than life story in the film, a bit of an epic movie. I have a style that is sort of based on big visuals. If it wasn’t a true story it might feel like a comic book actually.”

Goldberg also brings up the film’s (and cinema in general) relevance to current events and racial strife.

I think cinema does approach it. I don’t think this film is judging really anything, it is showing a story, and the story is incredible, and you don’t get much more racist than Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels.

Check out the full interview above.