Well, Episode VII is starting to really get moving right now. A week or so ago it was announced that Lucasfilm had selected a writer for Episode VII, a man by the name of Michael Arndt. Mr. Arndt has writing credits on Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine, and was also working with Pixar on the untitled inside the human mind film they are making. What is more interesting is that Mr. Arndt also wrote, before getting the main writing gig on Episode VII, a treatment for all three movies in this new trilogy. It was this treatment that played a rather large part in convincing Disney to pull the trigger on acquiring Lucasfilm. It truly must have been a hell of a treatment. With that in mind, I do have faith that Lucasfilm picked the right guy to write the film. Now comes the tougher choice, who to direct?
To that end, I am going to highlight the 5 best candidates I feel would make a great director for Episode VII. I am also going to handicap each one as well, based on how likely they were to be offered and then how likely it would be that they would accept. Ok, here we go:
1) Brad Bird
Films Directed and/or Written:
The Iron Giant
The Incredibles
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Ratatouille
Why he is right for Star Wars:
It is true that Bird has far more experience directing animated films than he does live action. However, his first live action film (M-I: Ghost Protocol) was a slick, well shot adventure film that was well received by both critics and audiences alike. Bird is a very capable action director and one who uses a strong visual pallet. But far more important to me is that Bird can write and create very interesting characters. He also has the ability to craft truly great character driven stories (all of his animated films) that have tremendous heart and sincerity to them. That is what is desperately needed for this new trilogy after the soulless prequel trilogy. Star Wars was always about heart and more importantly characters you, as a viewer, came to love and root for. Bird can deliver those sorts of things in spades.
Why he may not do it:
Bird is currently in pre-production on a new film project with Damon Lindelof , a project called 1952. There were some who initially thought that 1952 was indeed Episode VII. However, many in the know have debunked that rumor and stated plainly that 1952 is a new film. So if this is indeed a new film, then it seems unlikely Bird would tear himself away from it now. Although it is Star Wars. The allure of this particular franchise might just be enough to make Bird put his current project on the back burner for awhile.
Chances of directing Episode VII: Very slim
2) Alfonso Cuaron
Films he directed and/or wrote:
Children of Men
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Gravity
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Why he is right for Star Wars:
I think one need only look at Harry Potter to see how Cuaron could really be a nice fit for Episode VII. Cuaron's Harry Potter film shows how the director can work within an established universe but improve upon it by adding his own flourishes and unique visual vocabulary to that universe. Many critics praised Prisoner of Azkaban at the time of its release and many more came to regard it as the turning point of the series visually. Add to that Children of Men, one of the best films I have seen in my life. I kid you not there is a 15 minute sequence in the film that was done in one take and follows Clive Owen's character as he navigates a hellish, war torn neighborhood desperately trying to get to someone. There is fighting all over the screen, explosions, and chaos. It is glorious and quite frankly is just a tremendous scene. Brave bold ideas like how Cuaron approached this sequence could make for a truly interesting Star Wars film.
Why he may not do it:
Cuaron has several projects in production as I am writing this. But being busy sometimes is not the problem. In Cuaron's case I just don't think he would be all that interested. He has already directed a film in an established massively popular series. He may not be ready to jump back into that particular boat again for awhile. Or he simply wants to make original projects right now, projects he is able to inject his voice fully into, something Star Wars may not offer.
Chances he will direct Episode VII: Not very likely at all.
3) Matthew Vaughn
Films he directed and/or wrote:
Layer Cake
Kick-Ass
X-Men-First Class
Stardust
Why he is right for Star Wars:
Matthew Vaughn feels like the true wild card in my list. He clearly can make a rousing, entertaining, and visually interesting film (see: Kick-Ass or X Men- First Class). He understands the fundamentals of good storytelling, seems to be a good actor's director, and most importantly can work within the high pressure world of big budget studio filmmaking (see: X Men- First Class). However, Vaughn is temperamental and has been known to leave projects late in the game. He left X-Men- The Last Stand just two weeks prior to the start of principal photography. Plus, he rarely makes a film that he was not involved with on the screenplay and often insists on his screenwriting collaborator Jane Goldman being involved as well. I am unsure Lucasfilm and Disney would be ok with that now they have hired Michael Arndt. Despite that, he would be a very interesting choice for Lucasfilm to make.
Why he may not do it:
What is interesting with Vaughn is that he just left X-Men- Days of Future Past, the sequel to his X-Men- First Class, a few weeks back, while the former film was still in pre-production. So, it would seem that Mr. Vaughn is free to step into the director's chair for Star Wars. But not so fast. Mark Millar, writer of the Kick-Ass comic series, has said that Vaughn actually left X-Men to begin to adapt Millar's comic series Secret Service to the big screen. If that is indeed true, then it would seem likely that Mr. Vaughn would turn down any offer to direct Star Wars. Although the man has a pattern of leaving films while in pre-production, so he could do so in this case. But, I just kind of doubt it.
Chances he will direct Episode VII: Somewhat likely, 50/50 shot at this point.
4) Josh Trank
Films he has directed and/or wrote:
Chronicle
Why he is right for Star Wars:
Alright, so this is my sexy pick folks. Mr. Trank has one film on his resume, but what a truly great film it is. Chronicle was a film that for me anyway was a complete surprise. I was skeptical that a found footage film with super powered humans would be all that good. I felt the whole "found footage" thing was on its last legs and had become a cliche and more a gimmick than an actual style of filmmaking. However, Mr. Trank proved me wrong. Chronicle managed to win me over gradually as it found inventive ways to make the whole "found footage" aspect of the film interesting and compelling. One of the things that worked so well in Chronicle was the characters themselves, their relationships between each other, and the choices they make during the film.
Trank managed to take two tired movie genres (the superhero story and the found footage film) and breathe new life into each. I feel he could do the same for Star Wars. He is young, only 28, which would make him an appealing choice to Lucasfilm and Lucas in particular. I keep getting the feeling Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy want a young director to direct Episode VII. Perhaps they are hoping whoever they choose may stay on to direct future installments in this new trilogy. Who knows?
But to me, Mr. Trank has a strong eye visually and understands how to craft a story that puts the characters first before the visuals.
Why he may not do it:
Age is truly a double edged sword. While his youth would be appealing to all involved, it also could be a stumbling block as well. Mr. Trank's young age and relative lack of feature film experience could be enough to cause Lucasfilm to rein in their interest a bit. In addition, Mr. Trank may be involved in other projects or simply would rather write and direct his own material. As of this writing, Mr. Trank was not attached to any new projects. So, it seems he may be available. However I think in the end his lack of feature film experience will prevent him from being looked at seriously by anyone at Lucasfilm.
Chances he will direct Episode VII: Very Unlikely.
5) Jon Favreau
Films he has directed and/or wrote:
Swingers
Made
Elf
Iron Man
Iron Man II
Cowboys and Indians
Zathura
Why he is right for Star Wars:
So I have told you my risky choice (Vaughn) and my sexy choice (Trank). Mr. Favreau is my safe choice. You can look at Iron Man and see that Mr. Favreau can handle action, he is competent when it comes to shot compositions and staging action. It also shows that Favreau can handle launching a franchise property and please the fans of said property while also making a film that is appealing to the general masses. Although I often feel it is Robert Downey Jr's performance and not Favreau's directing ability that made Iron Man such an entertaining film.
Mr. Favreau also seems to work well with actors (having been one and all) and gets good performances out of them. But what makes Mr. Favreau a less appealing choice, out of this list, to me at least is that he will not bring anything new to the table. He will paint neatly and safely in the lines and produce a competent and entertaining film. There just isn't anything sexy about him as a director, his visual style, or his choices behind the camera. The end product would end up being safe and in line completely with both the visual style and general look of the original trilogy. There is nothing wrong with that of course and I did include him on this list. But I just tend to prefer a someone who directs Episode VII to take more risks visually with the film. In the end, Faveau could make a very fun Episode VII. But it just may not have anything new visually going for it.
Why he may not do it:
The only project Mr. Favreau is attached to at this time is a Disney movie about the Magic Kingdom that will be released next year. But it could be so easy for Disney to allow him to postpone that project and switch gears and direct Episode VII. Mr. Favreau himself has said he would be interested should Lucasfilm approach him. So really it would only come down to his schedule and if Disney would be willing to postpone the project he is currently working on for them right now.
Chances of directing Episode VII: Even money folks. Seems pretty likely he will be on the short list and maybe near the top. He seems to me to be the most likely candidate on this list.
That is my list fellow readers. I am sure this is far from a final list. However, it is the five directors I would have no problem with seeing direct Episode VII.
Time will tell of course and I would expect an announcement on this within the next month. Until then, let the speculation continue!
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