George Lucas has officially sold Lucasfilm -- and the
entire Star Wars franchise
-- to Disney (NYSE:
DIS
). The studio has confirmed that it will release the next Star
Wars film, Episode VII, in 2015. With nothing more than a
treatment for the sequel (along with Episodes VIII and IX), many
wonder who will write and direct the new films.
The more important question to ask, however, is
who
should write and direct these films?
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is one of the biggest Star Wars fans in
Hollywood. As a friend of Lucas and an artist that truly
appreciates the medium, he fought to direct one of the three
prequels. Lucas refused his request.
Now that Star Wars is in need of a new director, this is
Spielberg's job to lose.
JJ Abrams
JJ Abrams would probably be willing to sacrifice his entire
career for a shot at directing Star Wars: Episode VII. When he
couldn't make that happen, he settled for Star Trek. Since his
work on that film may prevent him from working on Star Wars
(there are bound to be schedule conflicts, if not a fan outcry),
Abrams is surely kicking himself right now for not waiting a
little longer to make his dream come true.
He could still make it happen, of course. But it seems
unlikely.
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan is one of the most respected directors in
Hollywood. He is a superb writer (one only needs to see Inception
for proof), he works well with special effects (the Batman
trilogy used more real-world effects than CGI) and he knows how
to pick a great cast.
But after working on one major franchise (which commanded his
life for several years), it is unlikely that he would sign on to
Star Wars.
M. Night Shyamalan
Imagine a Star Wars film where aliens invade a galaxy far, far
away and Obi-Wan Kenobi can talk to dead people (hey, wait a
minute…). That is the film that M. Night Shyamalan would
direct.
Shyamalan was once the top director of live-action films at
Disney. As the writer and director of The Sixth Sense (a film
Disney wisely purchased), Shyamalan quickly built up a fan base
of devoted moviegoers. But while he continued to add value to
Disney's bottom line, he was reportedly turned off by the
studio's reaction to the script for Lady in the Water. According
to a
book
by reporter Michael Bamberger, that film ruined Shyamalan's
relationship with Disney.
Without Lady in the Water, Shyamalan might still be directing
new (perhaps high-quality) films for Disney. He may have also
avoided directing The Last Airbender, which has severely
tarnished his career.
Now the chances of him directing Star Wars are slim to
none.
Gary Ross
As the director of The Hunger Games, Gary Ross can proudly
state that he is responsible for the third-biggest film of the
year. But as a man who likes to direct on his own terms, he does
not make very many films. And as a man who abandoned The Hunger
Games sequel because he did not have enough time to prepare, it
is unlikely that Disney would want him for Star Wars.
Sam Raimi
The Evil Dead director had no qualms about ripping off Star
Wars when he directed the first Spider-Man film. (Peter Parker
and Mary Jane's childhood meeting sounded all too familiar.) He
also happens to be directing Oz: The Great and Powerful for
Disney.
Thus, he's tailor-made for the job. That is, if the job is to
run Star Wars into the ground.
David Yates
As the director of the last few Harry Potter flicks, David
Yates knows how to handle a big-budget franchise. He also knows
how to take on a project he did not start.
Michael Bay
In a word, "No!" And again, "PLEASE NO!"
Co-Writer: George Lucas
Not everyone would work well with Lucas. But if Spielberg gets
the job to direct, he should co-write the script with Lucas (or
at the very least beg for his harshest input) and hire an
ultra-talented ghostwriter to polish it up.
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@LouisBedigianBZ
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