With Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) off the project entirely, Star Wars: Episode IX is in need of a new director.
For the second time in three months, Lucasfilm announced a high-profile departure from the Star Wars franchise, after the prestigious studio parted ways with erstwhile Han Solo directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller amid creative differences. With Episode IX, it’s a little different.
Filming on the 2019 sequel wasn’t set to begin until January of next year, but subsequent reports have claimed that the relationship between Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow had become “unmanageable,” with some even going so far as to suggest that the filmmaker was “egotistical” and “unbearable.” Harsh words, but one way or another, it’s clear that problems started to arise fairly early on in the creative process – hence the hiring of screenwriter Jack Thorne (Wonder) to polish Episode IX‘s script.
Looking to the future, and it seems Lucasfilm’s search for a replacement continues unabated. Both J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson have been floated as potential candidates, though it appears the latter is “entirely focused” on launching The Last Jedi.
While appearing at a Japanese media event to promote the upcoming film, Johnson not only confirmed that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper, Brothers Bloom, Brick) has a voice cameo in the movie, but the filmmaker also addressed those rumors linking him with the vacant Episode IX gig.
This translation from @starwarsweblog is a little rough around the edges, but the message is crystal clear: Rian Johnson is yet to begin any formal negotiations about possibly helming the 2019 tentpole.
It was never in the plan for me directing Episode 9.
I don’t know what’s gonna happen.
I was entirely focused on Episode 8.
So now I’m not really thinking about that right now.
Star Wars: Episode IX is currently scheduled for release on May 24th, 2019. Meanwhile, The Last Jedi will be with us on December 15th of this year.
