There is, admittedly, a vast amount of speculation involved in the coverage of ‘movie news’ these days, and it could be argued that part of the skill involved is recognizing the point at which that smoke actually becomes indicative of an imminent raging inferno. Today is one such instance, as momentum gathers behind the rumor suggesting the involvement of Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow in Star Wars: Episode IX.
It all began back in 2012, with the now infamous director shuffle sparked by legendary producers Kathleen Kennedy and her producing partner Frank Marshall. Their pursuit of Brad Bird for a Star Wars film resulted in him remaining at the helm of Tomorrowland, while recommending Colin Trevorrow, who ultimately directed Jurassic World – and neither walked away with a Star Wars title to their name.
The rumor attaching Trevorrow to Star Wars just would not go away, however, to the extent that, when his dinosaur movie obliterated all competition and broke box office records, the question reared its head again. Trevorrow addressed the rumor in June 2015, in intriguingly cagey style.
“Yeah, I can’t say no to that idea. Look, I think you’d know I was lying if I said I would never ever do a Star Wars film. I could tell you absolutely, 100 percent for sure I’m not doing or involved in the Boba Fett one. And I’m sure they’ll find a great filmmaker to do it. And I’m so impressed with the choices they have made. And I think, specifically, Rian Johnson is such an awesome filmmaker. And I’m so excited to see what he does.”
Now, just hours away from the Lucasfilm presentation in Hall H of San Diego Comic Con, renowned scooper Umberto Gonzalez of Heroic Hollywood is reporting with certainty that Colin Trevorrow is about to be revealed as the director of Star Wars Episode IX. As subsequently reported by /Film, it is certainly possible that this information has leaked, since the technical run-through of the presentation just happened. Trevorrow’s own words are what bolster up the as-yet unconfirmed claims, though.
His statement in that interview strongly suggests that he is on the inside Star Wars track – speaking, as he does, with such familiarity about what Lucasfilm has up its sleeve. Producing partners Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall are the common denominators here – with the former heading up Star Wars while the latter headed up Jurassic World. Jurassic World is, of course, a greater success than anyone could have realistically hoped for, so of course, Trevorrow has the world at his feet.
Looking at the Star Wars slate as it stands, then, we have Episode VII arriving in December, courtesy of J.J. Abrams. Rian Johnson is confirmed for Episode VIII, and it was previously reported that he was also lined up for Episode IX. Could that be about to change? Over in the realm of Star Wars Anthology films, spinoff Rogue One is already underway with Gareth Edwards at the helm. The “Boba Fett one,” as Trevorrow refers to it, was due to be directed by Josh Trank, but he has since exited that project. Trevorrow has categorically ruled that film out, however, and Phil Lord and Chris Miller have been recently confirmed for a Han Solo standalone film.
So, if the Boba Fett film is not a possibility, there are two slots open – Star Wars Episode IX (scheduled for 2019), or the unconfirmed third Anthology film. The Trevorrow heat seems to be continuing to swirl around Star Wars: Episode IX at the moment, though, and all eyes are locking onto Comic Con’s Hall H for confirmation later today.
