Photo courtesy of DisneyEveryone knows that Walt Disney Co. purchased Lucasfilm and is anticipating the production of the new Star Wars film, “Star Wars: Episode VII.” Now the question is: Who will be directing the first Star Wars since 2005? Even though it hasn’t been officially announced, the shortlist of directors has been narrowed down to two.
Both Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams have taken their names off the list to direct the Episode VII. Spielberg was the first to deny the role, saying, “No, no. It’s not my genre. It’s my best friend George (Lucas)’s genre.”
Other familiar names, like Quentin Tarantino and Zack Snyder (director of “300” and “Watchmen”) have also dropped out of the running.
Erik Davis, editor-in-chief at Movies.com, gave a passionate recommendation that director Joe Johnston (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) should be hired to direct Episode VII. In reply, Johnston said, “A lot would depend on what ‘it’ is. I am very glad to see Lucasfilm cranking up to get productive again, regardless of who ends up doing it.”
Another director interested in the job is Jon Favreau, who has already worked with Disney on the Iron Man series and on “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” as the recurring character, Mandalorian Pre Vizsla. Favreau said, “There are a bunch of incredible directors who are up for this job. I think whoever gets it will have that fundamental understanding of why Star Wars matters so much to a billion people. It’s just incredible. So that’s all I can say about that. I’m equally excited about it. … That’s all you’re going to get!”
Producer Frank Marshall (“Indian Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark”) mentioned that the search for a director has been narrowed down to a couple of candidates. When MTV asked Marshall about who was on the list, Marshall said, “I do, but I can’t reveal it, or I won’t be alive tomorrow.” He continued saying, “I'm really excited about this. I didn't grow up with it, but I was a big fan and have been since the series started. I'll always remember seeing that big mother ship go over the screen. I've never forgotten it. I can't wait to see what's next.”
“Star Wars: Episode VII” is scheduled for release in 2015.
Reach the reporter at tverti@asu.edu
