Lucasfilm Reportedly Avoiding Un-Tested Filmmakers for Future Star Wars Films

In the aftermath of Solo: A Star Wars Story being a relative disappointment for Lucasfilm, the studio is reportedly making some changes with their approaches to new films. One report suggests that Lucasfilm will avoid tapping directors who might be unfamiliar with massive blockbusters and instead focus on veteran auteurs to deliver audiences exciting adventures.

According to Star Wars News Net and their sources, “Disney is done experimenting with new or unusual filmmakers and will go back to proven veteran talent who they know can handle a big budget Star Wars production in an effort to prevent future production chaos, drama, and firings.”

In recent years, Lucasfilm has created a stigma of having a revolving door of directors whose visions must align with that of the studio if they hope to finish their film.

This image began with their first film that didn’t focus directly on the Skywalker Saga, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Director Gareth Edwards previously delivered audiences the Godzilla reboot and, prior to that, crafted the small-scale Monsters. Rogue One was ultimately a success, though behind-the-scenes stories hinted that the film was only a success thanks to a massive amount of reshoots, helmed by Tony Gilroy.

“If you look at Rogue, all the difficulty with Rogue, all the confusion of it … and all the mess, and in the end when you get in there, it’s actually very, very simple to solve,” Gilroy shared with The Moment With Brian Koppelman podcast of approaching the film. “Because you sort of go, ‘This is a movie where, folks, just look. Everyone is going to die.’ So it’s a movie about sacrifice.”

The next of their planned spin-off films, Solo: A Star Wars Story, was abandoned by original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who were replaced by Ron Howard. Lord and Miller previously delivered audiences The LEGO Movie and the Jump Street films, yet this was their first foray into a massive blockbuster. Their filmmaking style reportedly clashed with Lucasfilm’s structure that required sets to be built and CGI elements being created, yet the duo leaned into a looser approach that involved improvisation from their actors.

Last fall, Lucasfilm announced that Colin Trevorrow was no longer directing Episode IX, despite finding success with Jurassic World. With the dinosaur spectacle likely the exception, his films Safety Not Guaranteed and Book of Henry might have been realms in which he was more familiar.

Understandably, the studio has been subjected to some bad press because of these behind-the-scenes shake-ups, which they would likely prefer to avoid in the future.

The next Star Wars film to be released is Episode IX, directed by J.J. Abrams, on December 20, 2019.

Do you think this is the right move by Lucasfilm? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

[H/T Star Wars News Net]