Harmony Jones
Squishing the hopes of many-a-fanboy, “Mission : Impossible – Ghost Protocol” director Brad Bird has announced he’s not in the running – much to the disappointment of many, claiming he would’ve been a great choice to helm the first chapter in the new trilogy – to direct “Star Wars : Episode VII”.
Bird took to Twitter to put an end to rumours he was being considered to direct the first installment of the recently announced sequel trilogy, which will reportedly fix on the further adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian.
“Not doing Star Wars”, Bird said, adding that “But the science fiction film I AM doing is gonna be cool.”
The science-fiction film that Bird is doing is titled “1952”, some sort of ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ type feature, and has George Clooney circling the lead role. The project is also set-up at Disney, the new home of “Star Wars”.
Other rumoured candidates for the “Star Wars : Episode VII” directing gig including “Iron Man” helmer Jon Favreau and Joe Johnston, who not only worked in an effects capacity on the original trilogy, but has been trying to push Lucasfilm into making a Boba Fett spin-off movie.
I probably don’t deserve to comment, since I’m not a fan, but doesn’t a film like “Star Wars” really direct itself!?
Meanwhile, in news that’ll be more pleasing to fans of the saga, new Lucasfilm head-honcho Kathleen Kennedy tells EW that she hopes to make 2-3 new “Star Wars” films a year, beginning 2015. What that means is that, besides the sequel trilogy, there will quite likely be a number of spin-off films or animated features in the works.
