It hasn't always been the easiest road for Lucasfilm's new series of Star Wars films. It took forever just to get Episode VII off the ground, and the studio head Kathleen Kennedy's attempt to create a series of standalone films has been almost disastrous. Last year's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story may have been successful, but it set a series of dangerous trends that could prove to be problematic moving forward. The seeds of havoc that were planted with Rogue One's directorial/post-production chaos went haywire with the untitled Han Solo movie, which was being directed by LEGO Movie filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller until they were fired by Kennedy and replaced with Ron Howard. Throw in the fact that Chronicle director Josh Trank was fired by Lucasfilm a few years ago, and it's clear that the studio has a director problem. When Lord and Miller were fired, many began pointing fingers at Colin Trevorrow, who was set to direct Star Wars: Episode IX. Attitudes towards Jurassic World have shifted towards generally unfavorable as time has passed (I still dig it), and Trevorrow's The Book of Henry was one of the biggest bombs of the summer. The question on the minds of angry Jedi fans everywhere- why wasn't this guy being fired?
Well, all those Star Wars fans clamoring for Trevorrow's exit finally got their wish. Just now, Lucasfilm released a statement about the state of Episode IX. Read it below:
"Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX. Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon."
So yeah, this is a thing that happened. Honestly, I didn't think that Trevorrow would ultimately leave Episode IX. The film seemed like it was too close to production, and if we're being real here, Trevorrow is exactly the kind of director that Lucasfilm needs. He seems relatively easy to work with, he's eager to please, and he doesn't have much of a distinct visual or tonal stamp of his own. But I get that fan pressure was coming in at some point, and there was enough of a chorus crying for his exit that it makes sense. Trevorrow seems like a genuinely good guy, and even though this didn't work out, he clearly has an eye for spectacle and blockbuster mayhem. Hopefully he can turn things around elsewhere.
Now there's a new question- who will direct Episode IX? If I'm Lucasfilm, I'm throwing all the money in the world at Rian Johnson. They have had virtually no problems with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a rarity in the universe of conflict established at the studio. Jeff Sneider theorizes that it could be anyone from Johnson to Patty Jenkins or Ron Howard, so we'll see how this whole thing shakes out. I'm sure there will be plenty of speculation in the weeks to come. But for now, fans can celebrate or lament the exit of a director who has been controversial from the start.
As of this moment, Star Wars: Episode IX will hit theaters on May 24, 2019.
Image via Focus Features
Poster: Disney/IMDB
Well, all those Star Wars fans clamoring for Trevorrow's exit finally got their wish. Just now, Lucasfilm released a statement about the state of Episode IX. Read it below:
"Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX. Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon."
So yeah, this is a thing that happened. Honestly, I didn't think that Trevorrow would ultimately leave Episode IX. The film seemed like it was too close to production, and if we're being real here, Trevorrow is exactly the kind of director that Lucasfilm needs. He seems relatively easy to work with, he's eager to please, and he doesn't have much of a distinct visual or tonal stamp of his own. But I get that fan pressure was coming in at some point, and there was enough of a chorus crying for his exit that it makes sense. Trevorrow seems like a genuinely good guy, and even though this didn't work out, he clearly has an eye for spectacle and blockbuster mayhem. Hopefully he can turn things around elsewhere.
Now there's a new question- who will direct Episode IX? If I'm Lucasfilm, I'm throwing all the money in the world at Rian Johnson. They have had virtually no problems with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a rarity in the universe of conflict established at the studio. Jeff Sneider theorizes that it could be anyone from Johnson to Patty Jenkins or Ron Howard, so we'll see how this whole thing shakes out. I'm sure there will be plenty of speculation in the weeks to come. But for now, fans can celebrate or lament the exit of a director who has been controversial from the start.
As of this moment, Star Wars: Episode IX will hit theaters on May 24, 2019.
Image via Focus Features
Poster: Disney/IMDB
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