We all struggle with names sometimes, especially if they’re relatively close to each other and occupy similar realms: The Hollywood Chrises come to mind, as do Lil Baby, Da Baby, and their infant kin. And right now, there’s another overlap in the world of film, but involving a much less common pair of names — the fairly British Garth and its Welsh cousin Gareth.
“There are too many Gareths and Garths” is a ridiculously silly statement to make, because there really aren’t all that many in the world compared to, say, Edwards or Marys. But in the realm of pop culture, there are enough to cause some level of confusion. While you might not have known any Garths or Gareths growing up (in real life, anyway), it’s a name that’s coming up fairly frequently right now, to the point where it’s worth reminding ourselves that there are multiple men with this name, all working on relatively recent projects.
Hence, this humble guide, which I have written theoretically as a public service, but more specifically as a way to keep myself from mixing these men up in the future, something I struggle with. Getting older means embracing one’s flaws, and in my case it means using the editorial needs of Consequence to sort out these Garths and Gareths once and for all. Please enjoy.
Gareth Edwards
Gareth Edwards behind the scenes of The Creator, courtesy of Disney
Birthplace: Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
Profession: Writer/director
Breakout Project: The 2010 film Monsters, which told a high-concept sci-fi story with Scoot McNairy and a pretty tiny budget.
Since Then… While Monsters was only a modest box office success, it was well-made enough for Gareth Edwards to be tapped for two high-profile projects: First, he directed the 2014 Godzilla, bringing some beautiful design qualities to the more austere giant lizard tale. Then, he filled in a key gap in the mythology of a galaxy far far away with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (though, while his name remains on the film as director, future Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy oversaw reshoots on the final product). Now, he’s back with The Creator, an original story set in a not-too-distant future where AI has become an existential threat… or the potential salvation of humanity.
Why You Should Remember Him: While the future shape of his career will be no doubt affected by the success or failure of The Creator, there’s no denying that anyone who can get a major studio to greenlight an $80 million movie based on an original idea is some sort of dark wizard and/or in touch with deities more mighty than us mortals can comprehend. Okay, the actual story behind how Edwards conned this movie into existence is much less supernatural, but equally impressive. Whatever he does next, it’ll be worth paying attention to.
