Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino and Zack Snyder make it clear that they won't direct 'Star Wars Episode 7' as Michael Ardnt is officially hired by Lucasfilm to serve as the screenwriter.
- Nov 10, 2012
AceShowbiz - Apparently not all A-list filmmakers are interested in helming such prestigious project as "Star Wars Episode 7". While the hunt for the right director for the new "Star Wars" trilogy is still underway, it is now clear that at least Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino and Zack Snyder are excluded from the list of potential candidates. The three high-profile moviemakers have said "no" to the gig.
First, Spielberg told Access Hollywood that he wouldn't jump into a movie like "Star Wars", despite the fact that he's a good friend of George Lucas. "No! No!" he said when attending the AFI Fest premiere of "Lincoln" on Thursday, November 8. "It's not my genre. It's my best friend George's genre," he reasoned.
A more strict rejection was stated by Tarantino, who said to Entertainment Weekly that he "could so care less" about the much-talked-about movie project. Asked if he's not a fan of "Star Wars", the filmmaker of "Django Unchained" responded, "No, sorry. Especially if Disney's going to do it. I'm not interested in the Simon West version of Star Wars."
On the other hand, "Man of Steel" helmer Snyder pointed out that he wouldn't do the project though he's a massive fan of the famous space tale. "I don't think I'd be interested in [directing it]," he told L.A. Times. "I'm a huge 'Star Wars' fanatic. I just think doing [episodes] seven, eight and nine is just a slippery slope. It's a whole other mythological experiment I'm excited to see, but it's a lot of effort."
Weighing in on the trending topic, other high-end filmmakers J.J. Abrams and Jon Favreau admitted that they were very thrilled about the project. Though they didn't clearly mention about their interests, the two filmmakers had nothing but high hopes for anyone who would land the prestigious job.
Abrams, who is the helmer of rival franchise "Star Trek", told Hollywood Life, "Look, Star Wars is one of my favorite movies of all time. I frankly feel that - I almost feel that, in a weird way, the opportunity for whomever it is to direct that movie, it comes with the burden of being that kind of iconic movie and series."
"I was never a big Star Trek fan growing up, so for me, working on Star Trek didn't have any of that, you know, almost fatal sacrilege, and so, I am looking forward more then anyone to the next iterations of Star Wars, but I believe I will be going as a paying moviegoer!"
Favreau added, "I think both J.J. and I come from a generation of people who formed our whole creative persona around what we experienced as kids from watching those films, and I have had the good fortune of working with George [Lucas] and around George, and whether it is doing a voice on Clone Wars, or being at the Skywalker Ranch mixing Iron Man - so I have been very happy and lucky to just experience the culture that Lucas has created, both in my own life growing up as a kid and professional."
"Whether it was interviewing him at film festivals on stage, he is just a really wonderful, talented gifted guy who has changed the business so much, so I am just giddy, first and foremost as a fan, to see what happens with it. I think there is a lot of question marks of how they are going to do it, and who they are going to do it with, and what the story is going to be about; but to say that I am not excited about it is definitely an understatement. We'll see."
The big question on who is going to replace Lucas as the new helmer for "Star Wars" has become a hot topic since Walt Disney Pictures confirmed the "Episode 7" project was set for a 2015 release. Previously, Matthew Vaughn and Colin Trevorrow were rumored to be in the running for the high-end directing gig.
While Walt Disney Pictures/Lucasfilm is still looking for a director for "Star Wars", the studio has tapped a right writer for the "Star Wars" trilogy. On Friday, November 9, the studio announced that "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" scribe Michael Arndt has been officially hired to provide the script for the project.
