James Mangold defends making new music biopics despite Walk Hard's parody of the genre, particularly his 2005 film Walk the Line. The director maintains a pragmatic view about creating authentic music biographical films, even in the face of satire.

In his conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Mangold argues that satirical works shouldn't prevent filmmakers from pursuing serious entries in any genre. He draws parallels to other iconic parodies like Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, which didn't stop the production of serious horror films or Westerns.

While acknowledging that music biopics became less prevalent after Walk Hard, Mangold attributes this to natural industry cycles rather than the parody's impact. He emphasizes that film development timelines are too long for such immediate cause-and-effect relationships.

Interestingly, Mangold's main frustration wasn't with Walk Hard's comedic take on his work, but rather its production budget. He notes that the studio allocated twice the budget to the parody compared to Walk the Line, his original Johnny Cash biopic.

The director maintains a balanced perspective on genre conventions, stating, "Trope is not a negative word if you look it up." He believes that while some clichés should be avoided, others serve valuable purposes in storytelling. This philosophy guides his approach to his latest music biopic, A Complete Unknown.

Mangold's stance reflects a broader understanding of how genres evolve: parody and serious works can coexist, each serving their own purpose in the cinematic landscape. His willingness to return to music biopics demonstrates that genre conventions, when handled thoughtfully, remain valuable tools for storytelling.

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