Juan Antonio Bayona: the importance of knowing how to say 'NO'
Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2025 10:41 am
At 41, Juan Antonio Bayona –Jota to his friends and colleagues– has become the most sought-after Spanish film director in Hollywood . In 2007 he won over the world with 'The Orphanage' , a psychological horror film starring Belén Rueda, which was nominated for 61 international awards and grossed almost 80 million dollars worldwide. Five years later, he returned to fame with 'The Impossible' , the film that tells the story of the survival of María Belón and rcs data turkey her family, with Naomi Watts at the helm and more than 180 million euros raised. And last year, in 2016, he won over audiences again with 'A Monster Calls' , a fantasy drama that delves into the universe of a 13-year-old boy who has to deal with his mother's terrible illness.
There are no more titles in his filmography and it is not precisely because he has not been showered with offers. In fact, the Spaniard has confirmed that he avoided speaking to the award-winning Martin Scorsese when he wanted to offer him the direction of a film: “One day my agent called me to tell me that Scorsese wanted to talk to me about a project he had. But I was not prepared to do anything for Scorsese. How was I going to talk to him and tell him no, that I couldn't do it because I wasn't ready? So I had to tell my agent that I couldn't talk to Scorsese ,” he said with a laugh in an interview a few years ago. Some time later he said that he would not direct Brad Pitt's 'World War Z' and, despite the fact that his production company had to look for a replacement at the last minute because the deal was closed and work had begun, he maintains a good relationship with the Hollywood actor. “Saying no to Brad Pitt is not natural, it is a hard blow. Besides, we spent a long time working on that film; But it is always better to leave it in time before things go wrong ," the Catalan director confessed.
It is clear that Bayona knows that not all projects are for him and perhaps that is the secret of his success. “Many doors have been opened for me, but they all open as well as close and you have to be very aware of that. It is also important to know how to say no to the biggest ones before embarking on something that you do not see clearly” , he explained in an interview with XL Semanal just before the premiere of his latest film. It is called assertiveness , a quality that is difficult to cultivate and is usually defined as a communication behavior in which the person does not attack or submit to the will of other people, but rather expresses their convictions and defends their rights.
There are no more titles in his filmography and it is not precisely because he has not been showered with offers. In fact, the Spaniard has confirmed that he avoided speaking to the award-winning Martin Scorsese when he wanted to offer him the direction of a film: “One day my agent called me to tell me that Scorsese wanted to talk to me about a project he had. But I was not prepared to do anything for Scorsese. How was I going to talk to him and tell him no, that I couldn't do it because I wasn't ready? So I had to tell my agent that I couldn't talk to Scorsese ,” he said with a laugh in an interview a few years ago. Some time later he said that he would not direct Brad Pitt's 'World War Z' and, despite the fact that his production company had to look for a replacement at the last minute because the deal was closed and work had begun, he maintains a good relationship with the Hollywood actor. “Saying no to Brad Pitt is not natural, it is a hard blow. Besides, we spent a long time working on that film; But it is always better to leave it in time before things go wrong ," the Catalan director confessed.
It is clear that Bayona knows that not all projects are for him and perhaps that is the secret of his success. “Many doors have been opened for me, but they all open as well as close and you have to be very aware of that. It is also important to know how to say no to the biggest ones before embarking on something that you do not see clearly” , he explained in an interview with XL Semanal just before the premiere of his latest film. It is called assertiveness , a quality that is difficult to cultivate and is usually defined as a communication behavior in which the person does not attack or submit to the will of other people, but rather expresses their convictions and defends their rights.