Who should be the Director for Star Wars Episode 7?

[The Borgified Corpse]

My main concern with Joss Whedon directing anything is my constant fear that he'll randomly, cruelly kill people off for no good reason. (At least, in the Marvel movies, we're relatively safe from that.

Or so we thought.

Yeah, well, he had a target on his back because he was the only one without any real spin-off potential. The rest just kinda can't be stopped. (Although, I momentarily wondered about Iron Man simply because there's always the possibility that they could kill him off just because RDJ is tired of the role.)

But, honestly, Whedon might not be my first pick of the Marvel movie directors anyway. I sometimes suspect Jon Favreau would do a better job of getting the tone right. And I'd be very OK with Kenneth Branagh, probably. Thor was my favorite of all the Marvel movies (including The Avengers) and I thought Branagh brought more visual stylishness than any of the other directors. But I suspect Branagh would need a really strong script to be able to bring that same kind of quality. Thor had a very solid bedrock of emotional resonance. Without that, I suspect Branagh would have lost interest very quickly.

Whatever you do, keep Ridley Scott the hell away from it! I can't stand Prometheus or Blade Runner. Alien was OK but I attribute that mostly to the casting. (Yaphet Kotto is auto-win!) Kingdom of Heaven made no sense. Legend was shite. He completely derailed The Hot Zone & I Am Legend with his nonsensical art director brain. Honestly, the only movies of his I really liked were Gladiator & Robin Hood. Black Hawk Down was decent, I suppose. But overall, keep this madman away from it.

 

[Turtletrekker]

My main concern with Joss Whedon directing anything is my constant fear that he'll randomly, cruelly kill people off for no good reason. (At least, in the Marvel movies, we're relatively safe from that.

Or so we thought.

Yeah, well, he had a target on his back because he was the only one without any real spin-off potential.

Or so we thought.

 

[Venardhi]

I would like to amend my previous post.

Bird writes from a story by Lucas and Darabont, dialogue polish by Whedon, directed by Darabont. Bird as effects/animation director.

Bird directs second film. Whedon the third film when he has wrapped up with current commitment to the Marvel-verse and he can feel free to cut loose with the dramatic deaths of much-loved characters.

 

[Holdfast]

Sidebar: Mark Hamill is the same age now as Alec Guinness was when Ep. IV was filmed.

Wow. That is one of the most depressing things I've ever read.

Wow, indeed. Is that true? Time really does fly.

 

[Skywalker]

Sidebar: Mark Hamill is the same age now as Alec Guinness was when Ep. IV was filmed.

Wow. That is one of the most depressing things I've ever read.

Wow, indeed. Is that true? Time really does fly.

Guinness was 62 when ANH filmed in 1976 (born in 1914). Hamill is 61 now (born in 1951).

 

[Captaindemotion]

Was he referring to after Robopocalypse? Because that's his next project, and I think there might be a little bit of action in that.

Good point. But maybe he forgot about it?!

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/steven-spielberg-60-minutes-why-hes-done-action-024614993.html

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

Whedon the third film when he has wrapped up with current commitment to the Marvel-verse and he can feel free to cut loose with the dramatic deaths of much-loved characters.

No. Even when it has some narrative justification, it still feels like he's mostly doing it just to screw with us. I mean, he can't even do a musical comedy without twisting the knife for his own sick amusement! (Although, I'll admit that most of the Buffy/Angel deaths were pretty well handled. But I'll never forgive him for Wash.)

 

[Admiral2]

Other, namely George Lucas.

I know it's fashionable to bitch about him and his recent work, but here's my thing:

1. All the bitching doesn't change the fact that it started as his vision and he should have a chance to complete it on film.

2. As such, according to his description of his vision, the sumbitch owes us three more chapters and I want him to pay up.

3. His problem is scriptwriting, not story writing or directing, so I say let him finish the story, have someone else write the scripts and let GL get on with what he actually does fairly well.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I suspect Lucas will have a some role in the editing of these new movies. He did not personally direct ESB or ROTJ but supervised the editing on both. Thats always been his favorite part of filmmaking.

 

[Mach5]

Why isn't anyone (anywhere) mentioning Frank Marshall? Nepotism aside, I think he's a pretty decent director.

 

[Slurms MacKenzi]

As I mentioned in the main thread, one name for who might direct Episode VII is Gary Ross: he directed the nostalgic Pleasantville, worked with Kathleen Kennedy on Seabiscuit and most recently made The Hunger Games. Whether or not he's right for the job is another matter, but I'd say he's in the right place to get the job.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Other, namely George Lucas.

I know it's fashionable to bitch about him and his recent work, but here's my thing:

1. All the bitching doesn't change the fact that it started as his vision and he should have a chance to complete it on film.

2. As such, according his description of his vision, the sumbitch owes us three more chapters and I want him to pay up.

3. His problem is scriptwriting, not story writing or directing, so I say let him finish the story, have someone else write he scripts and let GL get on with what he actually does fairly well.

If Lucas wanted to direct the movie, and/or complete the vision himself, he wouldn't have sold the franchise and handed LucasFilm control over to that lady (whose name escapes me at the moment).

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

What I'm looking for out of the director is someone who can match the tone of the original trilogy. I want this to be a return to glory for the franchise. I want it to be fun adventure, I want there to be warmth in the acting, I want it to switch effortlessly between genuinely funny dialogue and mythic seriousness. I don't want SW to change to fit the director. I just don't see those qualities in the movies, of, say Christopher Nolan even though I love his movies. Movies that jump out at me as the right kind of tone... Out of the names bandied about and the movies that give me the right feeling of tone, I like Matthew Vaughan (x-men first class), joss whedon (Serenity, a movie which actually kind of reminds me of OT SW, Avengers), Brad Bird (iron giant, incredibles). I also like Speilberg and Darabont as more general choices. The other option is to go with someone who could capture the exotic Cantina-esque feel of the alien part of SW, in which case my main choice is Del Toro.

 

[Slurms MacKenzi]

What I'm looking for out of the director is someone who can match the tone of the original trilogy. I want this to be a return to glory for the franchise. I want it to be fun adventure, I want there to be warmth in the acting, I want it to switch effortlessly between genuinely funny dialogue and mythic seriousness. I don't want SW to change to fit the director.

Exactly. Tim Burton, Chris Nolan, David Fincher (and his bloody teal tint)--all these would be poor choices. You want someone like Irvin Kershner who has a sensitive, fun and intelligent style without intruding into the look of the film.

My concern with Spielberg is that his DP, Janusz Kaminski, would make it look too clinical.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Robert Zemeckis. He has all the skills and experience to do. He can do action and adventure with touches of humor. Plus he would know how to handle the effects without assistance.

 

[Kegg]

I sometimes suspect Jon Favreau would do a better job of getting the tone right.

You know that's an interesting one because Iron Man was a pretty boring movie, but that doesn't necessarily mean Favreau would bore me with a Star Wars movie. The direction is at least competent and even if the action is insipid and forgettable it shows knowledge of how to shoot a CGI action sequence, so I dunno... I think Favreau would really depend on the script (and the cast, as RDJ elevates his film quite a bit).

He's also plausible in the sense that he's someone who has been part of the recent wave of successful Marvelverse films, but he's not attached to any of their current projects. Joss Whedon is simply just not going to happen because of the amount of pies his thumb is in over at Marvel, but since Favreau is out of the Iron Man game...

Hell, someone like RDJ or someone like him playing a Not-At-All-Han-Solo snarky guy is something a Star Wars movie could use.

Whatever you do, keep Ridley Scott the hell away from it! [...] He completely derailed The Hot Zone & I Am Legend

Ridley Scott didn't direct I Am Legend, I think you're thinking of, well, Legend.

I also don't want Scott involved but that's mostly because I'd like to see the Prometheus sequels.

3. His problem is scriptwriting, not story writing or directing, so I say let him finish the story, have someone else write he scripts and let GL get on with what he actually does fairly well.

George Lucas is writing the treatments that will be the basis of these three movies. So in that sense he's 'finishing the story.' Given that he didn't direct two of the OT films, that's a good level of involvement in my opinion. Of course there are those who feel even that is too much.

 

[RoJoHen]

George Lucas is writing the treatments that will be the basis of these three movies.

Doesn't mean somebody else can't edit them.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

Jon Favreau, Brad Bird or Neil Blomkamp

 

[Venardhi]

Whedon the third film when he has wrapped up with current commitment to the Marvel-verse and he can feel free to cut loose with the dramatic deaths of much-loved characters.

No. Even when it has some narrative justification, it still feels like he's mostly doing it just to screw with us. I mean, he can't even do a musical comedy without twisting the knife for his own sick amusement! (Although, I'll admit that most of the Buffy/Angel deaths were pretty well handled. But I'll never forgive him for Wash.)

Musical comedy SUPERVILLAIN ORIGIN STORY.

 

[Admiral2]

Other, namely George Lucas.

I know it's fashionable to bitch about him and his recent work, but here's my thing:

1. All the bitching doesn't change the fact that it started as his vision and he should have a chance to complete it on film.

2. As such, according his description of his vision, the sumbitch owes us three more chapters and I want him to pay up.

3. His problem is scriptwriting, not story writing or directing, so I say let him finish the story, have someone else write he scripts and let GL get on with what he actually does fairly well.

If Lucas wanted to direct the movie, and/or complete the vision himself, he wouldn't have sold the franchise and handed LucasFilm control over to that lady (whose name escapes me at the moment).

Hey, it's a poll. That's my other. I can dream...