Griffin Dunne Welcomes New Audiences for Films That Found Their Following Later

Griffin Dunne is welcoming the renewed enthusiasm for “Practical Magic,” the Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman film he directed, while acknowledging that its delayed popularity brings mixed feelings. With the film getting a sequel this year, Dunne sees a familiar pattern: work that attracted less attention on its arrival finding a more appreciative audience years later.

Speaking to Variety, Dunne said he noticed interest building perhaps a decade ago, especially around Halloween. Memes about midnight margaritas and excited reactions from friends’ daughters helped make the change apparent. He compared that experience with the later appreciation for “An American Werewolf in London,” another film in which he was involved. Although grateful for the recognition, he wished it had come earlier as well, joking: “I seem to be the king of lapsed love!”

Dunne hopes audiences will also revisit “Addicted to Love” and “Lisa Picard Is Famous.” He expressed surprise that the former, a Meg Ryan film he said received strong reviews, remains unfamiliar to many people. He recalled asking Warner Bros. for a copy and finding that the studio did not have one. “Lisa Picard Is Famous,” meanwhile, arrived during 9/11, when he said audiences had little appetite for a comedy about unemployed actors. He considers it the funniest film he has made.

The actor and director, also known for Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours,” is heading to Poland’s TAURON American Film Festival to accept its highest honor, the Indie Star Award. He previously visited Poland to make “The Wall,” an experience he recalled as turbulent but rich in lasting friendships. Among those he met were Rosanna Arquette, Dianne Wiest and Tom Conti. Wiest later appeared in “Practical Magic.”

Reflecting on independent filmmaking, Dunne described an earlier period when investors were more willing to support original stories. Securing distribution has become difficult, he said, and finding a distributor no longer assures a substantial theatrical release. He also voiced concern that corporate consolidation could narrow the range of stories reaching audiences, particularly films that risk political controversy or offend viewers in America’s red states.

Audience enthusiasm still gives him reasons for optimism. Dunne pointed to queues for the documentary “You Can See Everything” and the attention generated by its trailer. Watching people in his East Village neighborhood line up for bagels discovered on TikTok has also left him hoping that similar excitement might draw younger audiences to cinemas. He encouraged filmmakers to persist when agents or studio executives describe an original project as difficult to sell.

His recent work has also explored his family through “The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir,” which includes the murder of his sister Dominique Dunne, and “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold,” a documentary about his aunt. Dunne said he had reached a point when he felt prepared to tell those stories. He was particularly proud that the documentary helped introduce Didion to younger readers and sustain her legacy.