What would you think if David Fincher, and not J.J. Abrams, had been chosen as the director of Star Wars: Episode VII? It’s only a hypothetical looking back, but as Fincher tells Total Film, leading the new Star Wars trilogy wasn’t entirely off the table.
“I talked to Kathy [Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm] about it, but I think that it’s a different thing from… I don’t know what Disney-Lucasfilm will be like,” Fincher told the site. His apprehension makes sense, seeing as his long-in-development 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was pretty much shot down by Disney, which owns Lucasfilm.
Earlier this month, Fincher observed in an interview with Little White Lies that, “You get over $200 million… all motion picture companies have corporate culture and corporate anxieties.” Relating specifically to his shuttered maritime fantasy adventure, it sounds like it was very difficult for Fincher to appease the anxieties of Disney’s corporate culture.
So yes, the idea of Fincher directing a Star Wars film is an especially interesting one, seeing as he has struggled with studios in the past. As for which Star Wars film is his favorite, he gives the nod to The Empire Strikes Back. But he adds:
“If I said, ‘I want to do something more like that,’ then I’m sure the people paying for it would be like, ‘No! You can’t do that! We want it like the other one with all the creatures!'”
Fortunately Mr. Fincher doesn’t have to worry about any of that, as the Star Wars franchise is pretty well set. J.J. Abrams is handling directorial duties for Episode VII, and will hand the reins to Rian Johnson (Looper) for Episode VIII. Johnson may direct Episode IX as well, while Josh Trank (Chronicle) and Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) will be directing two other Star Wars-related projects.
