The actor Kevin Costner had final cut on the 1999 film For Love of the Game due to the worldwide success of Dances with Wolves.
[7] Directors will seek final cut authority for creative reasons; however, the right is usually only granted to established directors who have been determined by their record to be bankable, such as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino, The Wachowskis or the Coen brothers.
If a director goes over budget, exceeds runtime, misses the production schedule, or otherwise does not stick to the agreed upon terms, he or she can lose final cut.
Although all parties are obligated to meaningfully consult with each other on all aspects of the film, when it gets down to final cut, it can cause conflict, which usually occurs between the director and the studio.
For instance in France, directors whose reputations are built on artistic merit, as opposed to bankability, frequently have final cut privilege for their films.