The single best director of all time, according to Ron Howard: “Of all the greats, he’s the greatest”

Ron Howard has named Billy Wilder as cinema’s greatest director, praising his ability to make films across different genres without relying on a single recognisable style. Howard says he prefers to adapt his approach to each story, and sees Wilder’s range as an example of that freedom.

Wilder directed films including *Stalag 17*, *The Apartment*, *Witness for the Prosecution* and *Some Like It Hot*, as well as *Sunset Boulevard* and *Double Indemnity*. The article contrasts Wilder’s celebrated body of work with Howard’s own varied but more workmanlike career, arguing that box-office success alone does not define great directing.