Noel Clarke didn’t ”want” to make another movie in his ‘Hood’ series.
The writer, director, and actor has returned to the franchise with ‘Brotherhood’, eight years after the second movie in the saga, ‘Adulthood’, and admitted he ignored offers of ”a lot of money” to make the film before he felt ready to do it.
He said: ”Truth is, I didn’t want to make another one. I was offered a lot of money to direct a third [immediately] after ‘Adulthood’ but I didn’t want to be the guy who just made ‘urban’ films.
”I’ve grown up since, I’ve got three boys, changed as a person. Now I’ve got something to say.”
The 40-year-old star feels ”massively disrespected” by the movie industry and finds it frustrating he isn’t recognised and praised for his many talents, both in front of and behind the camera.
He said: ”I’ve always been massively disrespected. Always. I was the ‘Kidulthood’ guy but then it’s like, off you go, back to West London, back in your box.
”I’ve taken risks, tried new genres.
”Why is it in this county, you act, write, produce and direct, and are a ‘jack-of-all trades’, whereas in America you’re called ‘a multi-hyphenate’?”
The ‘Fast Girls’ filmmaker admitted he often feels ”angry” at how he perceives his standing in British film, but does worry his work simply hasn’t been ”good enough”.
He told Empire magazine: ”I’ve written and directed quite a few films since ‘Kidulthood’ and felt angry all that time. Less so now.
”I’ve made lower-budget films because I have been forced to. But when you’re told to eat with spoons all your life, you get quite good at it.
”I park the ego and self-analyse a lot, maybe those films weren’t quite good enough. ‘Brotherhood’, though, is good enough.”
