With today's news that Disney has reached an agreement to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. and its subsidiaries for (roughly) $4.5 billion, Star Wars fans are in a frenzy. It was the simultaneous announcement that a new Star Wars film is being planned for 2015, however, that has created a buzz unlike anything I've seen before.
While the acquisition made new films inevitable (you don't buy a company just to capitalize on its past successes), it is a surprise to find out that the new trilogy of films will be based on Lucas' own story treatments for Episodes VII - IX. As Lucas is officially retiring next year, leaving the day-to-day operations to his Co-Chairman, Kathleen Kennedy, it is Kennedy who will be shepherding these new films to the screen as Executive Producer.
In a video that accompanied the press release, Kennedy and Lucas discussed the future of Star Wars, and revealed that they have been working on this for some time, already in the process of meeting with writers to develop scripts based on Lucas' treatments. Lucas will not direct the new films, but will continue to be involved as a Creative Consultant.
So the real mystery is, who will they get to direct the films? Will it be a different director for each movie, or will they entrust a single person for all three films? Regardless of what they choose to do, I think it's a safe bet that directors who already have a marquee name (Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, David Fincher, J.J. Abrams, Guillermo Del Toro, etc.) won't be involved for a variety of reasons. The Star Wars franchise is the star, for better or worse, and you're going to see a choice that is either an up-and-coming director, or someone from the world of animation, or special effects. Not to mention that with an already looming 2015 release date, the candidate will need to be available very soon. Here are six directors who might be a good fit . . .
Dave Filoni
Qualifications - Showrunner for the current Star Wars: Clone Wars television series
I don't watch the show, but Clone Wars has adamant defenders who say that it's what the prequels should have been. I don't actually see Filoni getting the job, but if you think this guy isn't going to toss his hat into the ring . . . you're crazy. Stranger things have happened too. He's well liked at Lucasfilm and with the Clone Wars coming to a close soon, his schedule should be open.
Thor Freudenthal
Qualifications: Hotel for Dogs, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the upcoming Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
The dark horse on my list is a man named Thor. Other than sharing his name with a member of "Earth's Mightiest Heroes," Mr. Freudenthal is a man who will be on everyone's short list if the new Percy Jackson sequel is any good. Taking over an already-established franchise is never easy and he's going to have that experience under his belt. It will make Kathleen Kennedy look like a genius if she hires this guy and he pulls it off.
Shawn Levy
Levy cut his teeth by working on family films and television, and Real Steel is a great example of how the whole can exceed the sum of its parts. He was developing a remake of Fantastic Voyage for James Cameron and 20th Century Fox, but has left that project. His newest film, The Internship, with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, is already in the can, so he should be free to jump into Star Wars if given the chance. Plus, he's a USC graduate, which is Lucas' alma mater, and has rubbed elbows with George socially.
Genndy Tartakovsky
If anyone on the list is due for his live-action break, it's Mr. Tartakovsky. For years, he was developing a sequel to The Dark Crystal that never came to fruition. Judging by his work on Samurai Jack, it's evident that he understands how to handle mythology in storytelling, the dynamics between good and evil, and how to tell a story visually -- something that has always been important to the concept of Star Wars. He could be an inspired choice.
Brad Bird
Bird has the ability to balance action and story, but he's also proven that he can make a film with soul. Not convinced? Just check out the climactic scene of The Iron Giant. Plus, he's only got one project that he's attached to at the moment, an earthquake film called 1906. That film is his baby, which means he can put it on hold indefinitely and not lose the rights. There may not be a better choice on the list. If you love Star Wars, Mr. Bird, the fans would like to draft you right away.
Rupert Wyatt
Qualifications: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Talk about a knock-'em dead surprise hit! No one expected Rise of the Planet of the Apes to be half as good as it was. Wyatt smartly put the story first, but was also able to integrate state-of-the-art character animation seamlessly. He recently exited the Apes sequel and has no future projects listed on IMDB right now. It would certainly be exciting to hear that Wyatt signed on to kick off a new trilogy.
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Obviously, there are other good candidates out there, and some very interesting possibilities. Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Walking Dead) and Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Captain America: The First Avenger) are established directors with ties to Lucasfilm. Rian Johnson (Looper), Duncan Jones (Source Code) and Neill Blomkamp (District 9) all come from a gritty, more independent background, and have made cool science fiction films recently. There's also somebody like Ben Affleck, who was rumored to be courted by Warner Brothers for a Justice League film. His filmography is solid and he's a total Star Wars fan. Chances are, it won't be any of these people, but it's always fun to speculate.
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