Who is the most powerful director in Hollywood right now? Or the second-most powerful? What about the third? The 23rd? These are the questions that have occupied our offices for the better part of a year, since senior writer Nate Jones first started mulling his ranking of the most powerful directors in Hollywood. As the industry exits an era of cinematic universes, when mega-producers like Kevin Feige ruled the land, directors seem to matter again. A new generation of cinephiles has come of age, raised on YouTube, Reddit, and Letterboxd. The balance of power has shifted, Puck’s Matt Belloni tells Jones. Over the course of several months, Jones consulted with agents, executives, producers, and publicists — all anonymously, of course — as well as a handful of L.A.-based journalists like Belloni who know the inner workings of Hollywood intimately. Their opinions influenced the list, though the final order was determined by him alone. Find out where — or if — your favorite director landed on the list and who came out as #1: nymag.visitlink.me/pQKwGO