Who should be the Director for Star Wars Episode 7?

[stj]

It doesn't matter nearly as much who the director is because the director doesn't have to be the studio's point man for all artistic decisions. In the end what matters the most is the script. I nominate Kim Stanley Robinson for script, with Lucas producing and a director who can manage to keep the acting on track despite dealing with huge FX, Robert Zemeckis or Ron Howard or Brad Bird or Steven Spielberg.

Also, the really really important question is, who does the score? John Williams is a great composer but the series is getting older. Age has made him less reliably great, I fear, as well. I'm thinking Brian Tyler, or Danny Elfman if he's explicitly instructed to avoid Burtonism. But maybe Dave Arnold?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Fincher was Assistant Cameraman on Jedi, and I'd love to see links regarding the rest of that post, because I'm pretty sure it's mostly internet rumour, and therefore patently false.

Thanks for the correction.

Fincher would be too dark.

Fincher worked on Return of the Jedi (he was either 2nd Unit or 2nd Assistant Director), and he supposedly lobbied Lucas to direct Revenge of the Sith. He's a big Star Wars fan, and if he were offered a full film I think he'd go for it and do something very amazing with it.

That's an excellent rebuttal to my completely obvious joke which you deleted from your post. Next up, we'll engage in a series of moderated debates about why the chicken crossed the road.

Sorry, your humor didn't exactly come through. I wasn't sure if you were being sarcastic or serious.

 

[Mach5]

I'm thinking Brian Tyler, or Danny Elfman if he's explicitly instructed to avoid Burtonism. But maybe Dave Arnold?

I say Micheal Giacchino. He's got that sorta vintage style, and his work on Super 8 was somewhat reminiscent of Williams'.

My #2 choice would be Jeremy Soule, the composer of the first KOTOR OST. Fans of the game love him, I think. And he really is good.

 

[Garak]

Kevin Smith. Give me a break. That might be the most awful suggestion I've ever heard for anything, ever.

Kevin Smith can write/direct serious material very well, and has a deep love of this particular subject matter. I think he'd do great, and I think if you think this suggestion is that awful, you haven't been exposed to the full range of Smith's movies - probably just Clerks, Mallrats, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and Clerks II?

I'm as familiar with his material as his fat ass is with two plane seats every time he travels. Probably the most overrated hack of our time. Awful suggestion, you should be ashamed of yourself.

 

[Mach5]

Probably the most overrated hack of our time.

Clearly, you have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.

Awful suggestion, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Not sure if sarcasm.

 

[Set Harth]

My #2 choice would be Jeremy Soule, the composer of the first KOTOR OST.

And Skyrim.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Brad Bird is very talented and he has exactly the right kind of sensibility for this.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Didn't see Whedon on the list, so I voted for Abrams.

 

[Set Harth]

It's good to see that Other is still winning. I've liked every Other film I've ever seen.

 

[Kegg]

It doesn't matter nearly as much who the director is because the director doesn't have to be the studio's point man for all artistic decisions.

Although in all likelihood he will be. Someone could be considered the auteur for this thing, and that's probably the director, although one can argue about that issue re: ESB until the cows come home.

Speaking of ESB, I'm pretty sure that's the last time a professional SF writer was involved in penning the script to a Star Wars film, although apparently little to none of Leigh Brackett's contributions actually made it to the movie. There might be something to be said for getting a SF writer particularly one with a yen for space opera (though probably - for reasons that he's made pretty explicit - not David Brin), but it's just as important that this movie works as a movie, so really something with solid screenwriting credentials would be liked there... I don't know, let's say Nathan Parker or Ben Ripley, because I'm still working on the assumption that a Duncan Jones directed Star Wars trilogy is a great idea.

Also, the really really important question is, who does the score? John Williams is a great composer but the series is getting older. Age has made him less reliably great, I fear, as well. I'm thinking Brian Tyler, or Danny Elfman if he's explicitly instructed to avoid Burtonism. But maybe Dave Arnold?

You'd want someone who can write pretty solid neo-romantic classical music with leitmotifs by the bucketload. So my first thought is obviously Howard Shore.

Roxann Dawson - Voyager, Enterprise, Heroes, The Cape, The Mentalist. She's directed some good TV

You know that does raise an interesting point. Disney/Marvel picked Alan Taylor, a veteran TV director with Deadwood, Mad Men and Game of Thrones on his CV, as the director of Thor 2.

Now obviously as talented as Taylor may be he is not a 'name' director in the sense of anyone else here we've discussed, but the name that the studio is selling is Star Wars itself, just as nobody's expecting to audience members to go see Thor 2 because they were impressed with the Mad Men pilot.

So I don't know. It's at least possible the reigns to the franchise could be handed over to professionals with long CVs even without cultic internet fanbases.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

TG Daily has an article up about this:
Who will direct the new Star Wars?

 

[Kegg]

TG Daily has an article up about this:
Who will direct the new Star Wars?

Catherine Hardwicke (Please God don’t let anything related to Twilight infect Star Wars),

You know the only movie I ever saw by Ms. Hardwicke was The Nativity, which honestly was pretty good. If she can make an okay film set in first century Judea, maybe she has the chops for a Star Wars flick. But who knows, wouldn't be a personal top dick.

Sam Mendes (Skyfall, American Beauty)

Skyfall was fine but the last time someone gave a Bond director the keys to a space opera franchise it was called Green Lantern.

Seriously though... they're my 'sure, alright, I can live with that' choices as opposed to the dream picks of Blomkamp, del Toro or Jones.

 

[T'Baio]

Rumours are starting to circulate that the Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird's top secret project "1952" that they recently, supposedly, "brought to Disney" and was intended as a tentpole, franchise, theme park and merchandising extravaganza is actually Episode VII.

Brad Bird I could get behind. But Lindelof? I think I'm gonna' be sick...

 

[Starkers]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mach5]

Brad Bird I could get behind. But Lindelof? I think I'm gonna' be sick...

As if Star Wars hasn't been through enough shit already.

 

[tighr]

Brad Bird I could get behind. But Lindelof? I think I'm gonna' be sick...

Ugh. Well, I guess I'll be boycotting Episode VII, now. That dude is like the Midas touch... at first it seems golden, but then it turns into a curse.

 

[Starkers]

I guess it depends if its just him or if he's part of a team of writers. I mean I didn't like what Logan did with Nemesis working alone, but he's worked with Purvis and Wade on Skyfall and for the most part it's worked out well!

 

[Dick Whitman]

I would think some of the guys who write the Clone Wars could be the one of the writers. They already have worked with Lucas personally and their work is popular.

 

[Mach5]

I mean I didn't like what Logan did with Nemesis working alone, but he's worked with Purvis and Wade on Skyfall and for the most part it's worked out well!

IIRC, Logan's script for "The Gladiator" was so bad that Russell Crowe insisted on changing a bunch of lines which he considered too stupid to say on screen. William Nicholson was eventually brought on to do a thorough rewrite, which got them an Oscar nomination.

 

[T'Baio]

IIRC, Logan's script for "The Gladiator" was so bad that Russell Crowe insisted on changing a bunch of lines which he considered too stupid to say on screen.

That's hilarious.

Too bad the actors in Prometheus didn't do the same thing to Lindelof.