Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Now that Disney has bought Lucasfilm Ltd. and announced they are planning on releasing Star Wars episodes VII, VIII and IX many fans are anticipating every bit of news on the development of the films.
Will Han Solo or Luke Skywalker make an appearance? What's the conflict now that the rebellion has won? And who will direct what will ultimately be some of the most successful films of all time?
Well, we at ksl.com love to speculate, so here are five directors who would be a good fit to take on the Star Wars universe.
Edgar Wright may seem like an odd choice considering most of his films are comedies. He has an impressive resume which includes: "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz," "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" and the upcoming "Ant-Man" for Disney owned Marvel.
Those movies don't necessarily scream "Star Wars" but let's look a little deeper. He has an eye for sci-fi that we got a glimpse of in Scott Pilgrim and his action is superb. We saw a little bit of it in "Shaun of the Dead" but his action sequences in "Hot Fuzz" were often times phenomenal. Not to mention, he already has a relationship with Disney.
Wright may not be the conventional choice, but he would be a breath of fresh air for the franchise.
But Wright's "Ant-Man" is due out in theaters in 2015, the same year as the next "Star Wars" film, which means his schedule likely would not permit him to direct Episode VII.
#poll
Joss Whedon seems like the obvious choice. The director is now a fan favorite and Disney's golden child. His take on "The Avengers" earned the company over a billion dollars and his sci-fi TV series "Firefly" is a cult classic.
Whedon is proven as a sci-fi director and could bring humor, action and spectacle to "Star Wars." We would get a lighter "Star Wars" universe from Whedon, like we saw in the latest trilogy. Not nearly as corny and campy, but bright and straight forward like Episodes I, II and III.
Yes fanboys, we know you would give your right arm and your "in the original packaging" Chewbacca action figure to see Whedon direct "Star Wars," but don't hold your breath.
Whedon is currently locked up with "The Avengers 2" and likely will not have time to turn around and get a new "Star Wars" film out by 2015.
Christopher Nolan is like the antithesis of Joss Whedon. Both are incredible filmmakers, but one is light, one is dark.
Nolan would bring a darker more intense "Star Wars" to the screen and it could be a great direction. A Nolan "Star Wars" would likely feel much like "The Empire Strikes Back" with tone and delivery. With his 2010 hit "Inception" he gave us a new kind of sci-fi that may be the kind of originality that "Star Wars" needs.
Nolan is one of the greatest storytellers of our time and that's exactly what the franchise needs, a well-told story.
Nolan recently released his final Batman movie and while he no doubt has a myriad of projects in his sights he has not announced what he plans to work on next.
Even if Nolan would be up for taking over the new "Star Wars" franchise, however, Disney may have a tough time stealing him from Warner Bros.
Matthew Vaughn may not be as well known as some of the other directors on the list, but he's just as qualified.
Vaughn has only directed four feature films, "Layer Cake," "Stardust," "Kick-Ass" and "X-Men: First Class," and all of them are very good films.
"Layer Cake" is a face-paced in-your-face mob movie that is brutal and fun. "Stardust" is an unfortunately overlooked fantasy film that is beautifully shot and blast to watch. "Stardust" is right up the alley of "Star Wars;" a sweeping love story in a fun sci-fi setting.
The other two on the list, "Kick-Ass" and "X-Men: First Class" are two completely different superhero movies that were executed brilliantly.
Vaughn may have the perfect tone and feel for the "Star Wars" franchise.
J.J. Abrams is one of the busiest guys in Hollywood and there's a reason, he's extremely talented.
Abrams brought life back into the "Mission Impossible" franchise and introduced an entirely new generation and fan base to one of the biggest sci-fi franchises of all time, "Star Trek."
Abrams is a fantastic storyteller and knows how to draw in an audience. His films are well-paced, clever, funny and a joy to watch.
Abrams has two things keeping him from taking the reins from George Lucas; his busy schedule and he's already the head honcho on "Star Wars" biggest rival, "Star Trek."
I'm just kidding. I just wanted everyone to flip out for a minute.
So, what do you think of the list? Are these directors a good fit for "Star Wars" or would all of them be a mistake? Who do you think should take over the franchise? Let us know on the comment boards and on Facebook. Also feel free to shoot me an email.
