Liam Hoofe takes a look at nine filmmakers who could replace Colin Trevorrow as director of Star Wars: Episode IX…
UPDATE: As announced just an hour after posting this article, J.J. Abrams will be back in the director’s chair for Star Wars: Episode IX.
Colin Trevorrow’s departure from Star Wars: Episode IX last week has created a tide of speculation all over the internet. The Safety Not Guaranteed director seemed like a safe choice to take on the film, following his success with Jurassic World but it looks as though creative difficulties have reared their ugly head once again.
This isn’t the first time this year that a director has left a Star Wars project, with Phil Lord and Chris Miller also leaving the standalone Han Solo a few months back, being replaced by Ron Howard. While the obvious choice to replace Trevorrow would be The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson, the director appears to be distancing himself from the project as much as possible. If he does not return for Episode IX, then Disney will be looking to fill Trevorrow’s boots pretty quickly and will be in contact with several directors over the coming days, one would imagine.
So just who should they be contacting? Let’s take a look at nine directors who could replace Colin Trevorrow as the director of Star Wars: Episode IX…
J.J. Abrams
J.J. was the man responsible for the excellent Star Wars: The Force Awakens and many fans would likely be more than happy to see him return to the franchise to close the trilogy out. It’s becoming increasingly clear, with the exit of Trevorrow and before him Phil Lord and Chris Miller from the Han Solo movie, that Disney like to have a big degree of creative control over their content and J.J. seems willing to play within their sand pit.
J.J. did rule out the chance of returning to the franchise when he finished up with Episode VII, but I’m sure Disney could probably find a way to convince him otherwise.
Patty Jenkins
Following the critical and commercial success of Wonder Woman this summer, Patty Jenkins is one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood right now. The Star Wars franchise has never been helmed by a woman, and no female candidate would be a better choice than Jenkins at this current moment.
While securing Jenkins’ service would be a massive coup for Disney, the fact that she is currently working on the hotly anticipated Wonder Woman 2 may prove to be too big a stepping stone for them.
Ron Howard
When Phil Lord and Chris Miller exited the Han Solo project due to creative differences, Disney wasted no time in placing seasoned director Ron Howard in charge of the movie.
Howard is a very capable director and one who is no doubt willing to toe the line for the company and deliver for them exactly the kind of movie they want to see. While I don’t think he will be their first choice, don’t be surprised if he isn’t their backup plan at the moment.
Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay is one of the finest female directors working in Hollywood today and could be the perfect surprise candidate to take over Episode IX. The Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated director not only has the critics’ seal of approval, but she also has Disney’s. The director’s next movie, A Wrinkle in Time, is a $100 million Disney project, that the company is said to be very, very pleased with. With such a strong emphasis on a female lead in this Star Wars trilogy, DuVernay could well be the ideal director here.
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Originally published September 12, 2017. Updated April 17, 2018.
