He controlled one of Italy's largest newspapers, Il Giorno, and emblazoned Eni's gas stations with a fire-breathing, six-legged dog.

FORBES: Devil's Advocate

The director recently talked about working with a deaf actor, learning from a blind father and sharing the stage with a three-legged dog.

WSJ: David Cromer's 'Tribes': A Director Reveals His Motivation

Boston Dynamics rose to fame with its four-legged cargo robot Big Dog, (also captured in a YouTube sensation here) which shows an uncannily life-like ability to walk over terrain and recover its footing even when it slips or is kicked.

FORBES: Meet Cheetah, Boston Dynamics' Terrifyingly Fast Running Robot (Video)