STAR WARS: EPISODE VII Directors Update; George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy Talk STAR WARS: EPISODE VII Directors | Collider

As the world is still reeling from last week’s news that Disney has purchased LucasFilm and is releasing a new Star Wars film in 2015, the conversation has now turned to who will take over the beloved franchise. We recently learned that Oscar-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine) has prepared a lengthy treatment and is gunning for the writing gig, and Matthew Vaughn has been mentioned as a possibility for the director’s chair.

When news of Star Wars: Episode VII first broke, a video was released that featured new LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas talking about the future of the franchise. It appears that the video was just a snippet of the full conversation, as another portion has been released online today in which the two discuss how they’ll go about choosing a director for Episode VII and what Lucas’s “creative consultant” role entails. Moreover, we have confirmation of two big name directors who definitely won’t be stepping into the director’s chair. Hit the jump for Star Wars goodness.

First up, let’s get to who definitely won’t be directing Star Wars 7. A number of wish lists quickly popped up with fans ruminating on which directors would be best to helm the new Star Wars film. Lucas’ buddy Steven Spielberg appeared on many such lists, and the news of Arndt’s involvement also mentioned that producers would be sending Spielberg and a few other directors the scribe’s SW treatment to look over. The idea of Spielberg taking on Star Wars always seemed a bit far fetched, and the director recently shot down those rumors to Access Hollywood:

“No, no! It’s not my genre. It’s my best friend George’s genre.”

Another top-notch director also made it known that he’s not interested in the job, taking a little jab at the sale to Disney while he was at it. Here’s what Quentin Tarantino told EW:

“I could so care less. No, sorry. Especially if Disney’s going to do it. I’m not interested in the Simon West version of Star Wars.”

I’m not exactly sure why Tarantino thinks the Disney sale means that Star Wars: Episode VII will look like a film from the Con Air director, but I think it’s safe to say no one really expected QT to churn out a Star Wars film anyway. Also joining Spielberg and Tarantino in the “no, thanks” club is Man of Steel helmer Zack Snyder, who recently said he had no interest in taking on the job.

Moving on to who will be directing the new Star Wars, the previous video with Kennedy and Lucas had the two talking about the franchise in broad terms, but this new clip goes into a bit more depth about their plans for Episode VII. Kennedy mentions that they’re looking at people who she’s worked with before (for the love of God please don’t be M. Night Shyamalan), and Lucas elaborates on just what his job as a “creative consultant” will entail.

Take a look at the video below, via StarWars.com. Apparently a new video will be going up each week, so we’ll be sure to bring you whatever updates transpire next week.

In case you missed anything, peruse our recent Star Wars coverage below:

Sean

The Simon West version of Star Wars? What on earth is Tarantino talking about? Likewise, he got the expression wrong. If you can “So care less” then you aren’t really being all that critical.
- Kevin
  
  Well, it’s pretty obvious. Simon West was the go to guy for Disney on big budget bullshit like Con Air. He thought about studio directors with a history of working for Disney, in this case Touchstone Pictures, and used it as an example of what type of director he thinks Disney is looking for.
  - Greenpaw
    
    At first glance I was pissed at Tarantino’s comment – but he wouldn’t fit anyway, and he knows it.
    I take his comment about Simon West as meaning he (West) makes the same genre films as Tarantino but without the wit or substance that Tarantino infuses into his films.
    There is no way Disney would go for a Tarantino version of anything so it would have to be homogenized…like Con Air.
  - Sean
    
    Disney’s go to guy 15 years ago. Given their success with Marvel and Pixar in recent history, it seems fairly unreasonable to judge them based on what they did in the previous century.
TheHOYT

I’ve never liked Tarantino and his comments reaffirm why.
- Old Soldier
  
  I agree 100%. Also if he directed Ep7 Han and Luke would be sitting in the Mos Eisley cantina playing cards and “talking” about what they call a 1/4 pounder in Theed for 2 friggn’ hours.
  - marrowbonez
    
    Yes, because Tarantino loved to put lots of card playing scenes in his films. You are also so clever the way you put “talking” in quotes as if you are rolling your eyes at dialogue being present in a film. Now, here’s the part where I insult you with a Michael Bay / Transformers reference and call you an idiot. But seriously, if you are making fun of Tarantino’s dialogue, you must really have problems. I’m just curious who writes better dialogue if his is so bad – George Lucas?
    
    “From the moment I met you, all those years ago, not a day has gone by when I haven’t thought of you. And now that I’m with you again… I’m in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it gets. The thought of not being with you- I can’t breath. I’m haunted by the kiss that you should never have given me. My heart is beating… hoping that kiss will not become a scar. You are in my very soul, tormenting me… what can I do?- I will do anything you ask.
    [uncomfortable pause]
    If you are suffering as much as I am, PLEASE, tell me. “
  - Old Soldier
    
    Now have them playing cards, getting anal raped in the basement, and asking to have “another glass of delicious milk” and you have a Tarantino movie. Ohhhhh…. I can hear you saying “REALLY, REALLY you’re a Michal Bay fan- really!”
David

The only thing I see as a problem is how much say a director or the screenwriter will actually have say in the end product. Let’s just say for the sake of argument, Lucas does have a good idea. If the writer says this might not work, it should be excised, will Lucas allow that sort openness? He’s a micro-manager, can he allow an underling the ability to veto an idea of his?

This is why they’ll probably hand the director’s chair to someone they know and can easily control. Probably the same with the writer. It could work for some unknown or little known director, but I also think handing it to capable director not afraid at calling an audible when needed would do the next trilogy better. But Lucas has surrounded him with YES people and he’s reached a point in his career in which the word NO is not applied to him. This good and this is bad. My wish is to see a serviceable story that is not clogged with so much CGI. Bring a bit of human frailty back to what has become a mechanical franchise.

Just because you can create almost anything in the computer, does not mean you should.
David

The only thing I see as a problem is how much say a director or the screenwriter will actually have say in the end product. Let\’s just say for the sake of argument, Lucas does have a good idea. If the writer says this might not work, it should be excised, will Lucas allow that sort openness? He\’s a micro-manager, can he allow an underling the ability to veto an idea of his?

This is why they\’ll probably hand the director\’s chair to someone they know and can easily control. Probably the same with the writer. It could work for some unknown or little known director, but I also think handing it to capable director not afraid at calling an audible when needed would do the next trilogy better. But Lucas has surrounded him with YES people and he\’s reached a point in his career in which the word NO is not applied to him. This good and this is bad. My wish is to see a serviceable story that is not clogged with so much CGI. Bring a bit of human frailty back to what has become a mechanical franchise.

Just because you can create almost anything in the computer, does not mean you should.
mrperfect

After that interview, I have a bad feeling about these new movies – looks like George is still going to be there to ruin any good scripts or scenes some writer or director come up with. I think George should just not give ANY input and see what some other people can come up with.
Jonatan

Star wars is a product. Its impossible that directors as Tarantino or Fincher will do a movie like this. They are authors director. They have to make his own movie. They have his own universe.
Disney and star wars as franchise limited the creativity of the proyect.
As in the Marvel movies they need to find only a good storyteller and they will take in charge of the rest. It will never attract great artists in it.
But still can be a good movie
Sorry for my english
Sam

The usual idiotic comments about Tarantino, hey numb nuts! get at least your own lame jokes. Good think for Quentin, he is way overqualified for toy advertising movies.
- Steve
  
  And I’m sure he’s too busy. Those hipster movies won’t direct themselves.
- Old Soldier
  
  All lame Tarantino jokes Copyright-Old Soldier 2012
Rico_Swave

WTF was that?
marrowbonez

Yes, because Tarantino loved to put lots of card playing scenes in his films. You are also so clever the way you put \"talking\" in quotes as if you are rolling your eyes at dialogue being present in a film. Now, here\’s the part where I insult you with a Michael Bay / Transformers reference and call you an idiot. But seriously, if you are making fun of Tarantino\’s dialogue, you must really have problems. I\’m just curious who writes better dialogue if his is so bad – George Lucas?

“From the moment I met you, all those years ago, not a day has gone by when I haven\’t thought of you. And now that I\’m with you again… I\’m in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it gets. The thought of not being with you- I can\’t breath. I\’m haunted by the kiss that you should never have given me. My heart is beating… hoping that kiss will not become a scar. You are in my very soul, tormenting me… what can I do?- I will do anything you ask.
[uncomfortable pause]
If you are suffering as much as I am, PLEASE, tell me.”
pugwash

As if Tarantino would be even vaguely appropriate…I’m a fan of his first 3 or 4 movies but everything since has been the same hacky reheated tributes to genre films and tragic ‘meta’ symbolism.. Star Wars in his hands would be diabolically bad anyhow. His opinion is not worth a pinch on this one…
RDario

‘for the love of God please don’t be M. Night Shyamalan’ LOL
RDario

\’for the love of God please don’t be M. Night Shyamalan\’ LOL
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Marvel Comics Fan

I love the dialogue lucas used in clones with padme. I mean it’s like a freaking n’sync song, I masterborted right in the theater when I heard those hot lines. Hell yeah no one can write like lucas.
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George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy Talk STAR WARS: EPISODE VII Directors; Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino Take Themselves Out of the Running

by Adam Chitwood Posted: November 9th, 2012 at 3:10 pm

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