The biggest disputes between film directors and stars

Creating cinematic magic on the big screen often requires a lot of blood, sweat and tears behind the scenes to pull all the threads together.

While the ideal end result for a movie is entertainment seamlessly brought to life (which also makes the people involved a lot of money), sometimes things can get a little messy between the people making it.

From major blow-ups to lawsuits to a war of words, scroll on and delve into some of the most famous feuds between film directors and stars — and find out how their relationships became less than harmonious.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively

There were rumors about that director/actor Justin Baldoni and an actress Blake Lively they didn’t get along during a promotional tour for It ends with uswhich was released in August 2024.

The animosity between the pair was confirmed when Lively, 37, sued Baldoni, 40, in December 2024 for sexual harassment, accusing the director of trying to smear her reputation with a smear campaign – which Baldoni’s lawyers vehemently denied.

Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh

In case of release in 2022 don’t worry dear many onlookers became more interested in the behind-the-scenes drama than the film itself. He directed the film Olivia Wilde and marked with an asterisk Florence Pugh – and speculation was rife tension between the pair.

In the lead up to Don’t worry, dearPugh did limited promotion for the film, avoiding being photographed alongside Wilde and skipping or arriving late to meet press commitments. Although neither has confirmed the truth behind their relationship, there have been whispers that Pugh may have been unhappy with Wilde’s relationship partner. Harry Styles.

Megan Fox and Michael Bay

During it Transformer days, Megan Fox rocked the boat with the director Michael Bay when she publicly compared him to “Hitler” — which ultimately led to her being fired from the franchise and replaced Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

“He’s like Napoleon and he wants to create this crazy, infamous reputation as a madman. He wants to be like Hitler in his scenes and he is,” Fox (38) said. Wonderland magazine in 2009. “So he’s a nightmare to work for, but when you get him away from the set and he’s not in director mode, I quite like his personality because he’s so awkward, so hopelessly awkward.”

While he eventually cut her out of his films, Bay said GQ magazine in 2011 that he wasn’t particularly offended.

“I didn’t get hurt because I know it’s just Megan. Megan likes to get a response,” Bay, 59, said. “He’s doing it the wrong way. I’m sorry Megan. I’m sorry I made you work 12 hours. Sorry to make you show up on time. Movies aren’t always warm and fuzzy.”

Jake Gyllenhaal and David Fincher

Jake Gyllenhaal and David Fincher They didn’t mince words when it came to talking about their experience working together on the 2007 film Zodiac.

“Fincher paints with people,” Gyllenhaal, 44, said of the director in 2007, complaining, “It’s hard to be the color.”

Fincher later had his own take on what it was like working with Gyllenhaal — and he didn’t hold back.

“Jake was in the unenviable position of being very young and having a lot of people vying for his attention while working for someone who won’t let you take a day off,” Fincher, 62, said. The New York Times in 2020. “I think Jake’s philosophy was influenced — look, he made a lot of movies, even as a kid, but I don’t think he was ever asked to focus on the little things, and I think he was very distracted.”

Katherine Heigl and Judd Apatow

Another infamous instance of a movie star clashing with her director was when Katherine Heigl she came out against the film she starred in in 2007 Knock Up.

Its director Judd Apatow he was less than impressed when she slammed Knock Up during the interview with Vanity Fair in 2008.

“It portrays women as shrews, humorless and uptight,” Heigl, 46, said. “It portrays men as loving, goofy, fun-loving guys. It exaggerated the characters and some days I had a hard time. I play such crap; why is she so murderous Why do you portray women like this? Ninety-eight percent of it was an amazing experience, but I found it hard to love the movie.”

Apatow told the radio host Howard Stern in 2009 that he expected an apology from Heigl after the disparaging remarks, but never received one.

“(You’d think) at some point they’d call me ‘Sorry, I was tired…’ and then the call would never come,” Apatow, 57, said.