If there were a such thing as the anti-auteur, Richard Donner would be it.

Donner, a film director for almost a quarter of a century, seems to jump all over the place thematically. Early in his career, he directed one of the scariest films of all time, “The Omen.” In 1978, he took on the superhero genre, directing Christopher Reeve in “Superman.” Later, he’d direct the comedy “Scrooged,” the action-packed “Lethal Weapon” franchise, and arguably, his most beloved film, “The Goonies.”

“You know, I never thought I was doing genre,” Donner said. “I like people to come out of a movie feeling good. That’s it.”

Donner was in Chicago to screen his latest film, “Timeline,” an adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel, starring new Hollywood heartthrob Paul Walker. The Weekender was asked to sit down with Donner and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler, and pick their brains on everything from his early television days to his long talked about “Goonies” sequel.

And yes, “Goonie” fans, that sequel apparently is in the works. Donner told a room full of critics that he and “Goonies” producer Steven Spielberg have a great idea for a sequel, but lack the funding to get it done. Donner said if they don’t receive funds from Warner Brothers, the duo might fund the film themselves and worry about selling it later.

Donner is as passionate as ever about his craft, even at 73 years old. After speaking with the man, you’d never guess he’s a year over 50. The same goes for the extremely intelligent Shuler, who could easily pass for 40. Right away, it’s easy to determine which of the pair is the producer at heart. Shuler exudes a sheer intelligence that cannot be questioned, yet she’s extremely humble.

Being an older filmmaker can have its perks. “Timeline” uses all real effects. If something explodes, Donner really blew it up. You won’t see Donner trapping himself in the realm of endless CGI, a trend all too common with recent Hollywood blockbusters like the new “Star Wars” films.

“I like reality, I like to touch things,” Donner said. “I don’t like an actor to look at a blue screen and tell them, ‘That’s what you’re looking at, follow this stick.’ It works, but not for me. I guess I’m an old die-hard.”

“I think the problem is … you can get lost in it. But you have to think about your story,” Shuler added. “Because you can computer-generate anything you want. People get all caught up in bullet time. I think what happened with [“Star Wars” director George] Lucas’ last movies is that he got caught up in the candy store instead of thinking about characters and making it personal.”

Over the years, the duo has seen its share of interesting projects. What many don’t know is that Donner started off directing television, mainly episodes of “The Twilight Zone” and “Gilligan’s Island.” Remember the classic episode of “The Twilight Zone,” “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”? That was one of Donner’s.

“In TV, you didn’t really have a chance to rehearse your actors,” Donner said. “In motion pictures you have the chance to do that. But even now, I don’t like to over rehearse. You lose all the actors’ instincts; I guess that’s what I carried over with me from TV.”

Donner seems to have always had an eye for talent. He virtually made stars out of actors like Christopher Reeve and Corey Feldman. He has worked with the likes of Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Jodie Foster, Bill Murray and now, Paul Walker.

“We had a very international cast, and when it came to the American role, we thought Paul would be good,” Shuler said.

“He’s the kind of guy you’d throw back a couple of beers with,” Donner said. “His handicap is he’s so good-looking.Guys are so jealous of him.”

When asked if Donner himself was jealous, he responded.

“Oh yeah,” he said. “I want to work more with him, I really do. He’s a sensational actor. His reactions are so clean and honest.”

Although Donner is in his later years, his career appears to be far from over. What’s next for the legendary director is unclear, but Shuler is working on an adaptation of her own, the bestselling novel “The Secret Life of Bees.”

Adaptation can be a difficult process, Shuler said.

“People read books, and you see the movie in your mind,” Shuler said. “It’s tough, because you have to be true to the book, as well as that movie you’re seeing. Rarely is there a good book adaptation.”

As far as Donner’s future goes, I’m sure “Goonies” fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that their mysterious, long-awaited sequel soon will become a reality.