It took awhile for David Cronenberg to become a Canadian treasure, but the French always seemed to have a thing for the oddball filmmaker. From 1986's The Fly, in which Jeff Goldblum was transformed into a rather large insect, to 1996's Crash, in which paraphilia (people who derive sexual pleasure from car crashes) was the order of the day, Cronenberg's films are a favourite with France's culture vultures.

It is no surprise, then, that this year Cronenberg will receive France's highest decoration, the Légion d'honneur, on April 1. The director stopped by The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos to discuss his career a week before he receives his award, and AOL was present for the taping.

The highlight of the interview was when Strombo asked Cronenberg why he had passed on two box-office smashes, Top Gun and Flashdance. The director's response? "I didn't understand those movies."

Understanding is a big part of what makes Cronenberg choose his projects. The filmmaker admits that he has been trying to "sell out" for ages but none of the blockbusters he has been offered have struck a chord with him, until now.

Cronenberg's next project, which he told Strombo he hopes to start filming in the fall, will most likely star Denzel Washington and Tom Cruise. The director says he had Washington in mind when he wrote the script, which is based on a thriller by Bourne writer Robert Ludlum.

It's an exciting prospect for Cronenberg fans, as the director over the past few years has shown his prowess within the thriller genre. A History of Violence, in which a small-town diner owner becomes a celebrity through an act of violence, was critically acclaimed in 2005 for its quiet force. Then, in 2007, Cronenberg may have reached his apex as a filmmaker with Eastern Promises, a film that features a London midwife getting involved in the Russian mob.

It seems as though Cronenberg could not do better than Eastern Promises, but it will be exciting to watch him try.