So far two huge news breaks that were probably intended as surprise announcements during some of Comic-Con’s biggest panels have hit the interwebs—Phil Lord and Chris Miller directing the Han Solo movie, and Ben Affleck directing a solo Batman movie—and if the latest rumor is correct, we’ll be 3 for 3. El Mayimbe at Heroic Hollywood is reporting that Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow will be brought onstage later today during the Lucasfilm panel and will be announced as the director of Star Wars: Episode IX.

This is news that actually makes quite a bit of sense. When Brad Bird finally decided not to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens (he opted to stick with Tomorrowland instead), he was in conversation with Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy and her husband Frank Marshall, the producer of Jurassic World, and he threw Trevorrow’s name into the mix for the Jurassic sequel.

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Image via Universal Pictures

Trevorrow was coming off the success of his indie Safety Not Guaranteed when he landed the Jurassic World gig, but plenty were wary of how he’d make the leap to franchise filmmaking. Box office-wise, however, Jurassic World has been a runaway success. The sequel has grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide and currently holds the #4 position on the all-time domestic chart, and it's not slowing down anytime soon. So selling Trevorrow as the director of Star Wars: Episode IX is actually quite easy from a numbers perspective.

But from a creative side, the Trevorrow choice is a little disappointing. So far, the Kennedy-led Lucasfilm has knocked it out of the park when it comes to choosing directors (Rian Johnson on Episode VIII, Gareth Edwards on Rogue One, and now Lord/Miller on Han Solo), but Trevorrow's Jurassic World is forgettable, lacking the kind of tension-filled action sequences or delightful character moments that would point to greater success in the realm of big budget filmmaking.


Look for confirmation from Lucasfilm later today if this rumor is true, and regardless check back here this evening for my full recap from their sure-to-be-eventful Comic-Con panel.

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Image via Disney/Lucasfilm