Long before J.J. Abrams landed the role of overseeing Star Wars: Episode VII, seemingly every filmmaker in Hollywood was linked to Disney’s coveted director’s chair. However, one of the few directors who actually entered talked with the company was David Fincher, who spoke recently with Total Film about his decision to pass on the gig.
“I talked to Kathy about it, but I think that it’s a different thing from… I don’t know what Disney-Lucasfilm will be like. It’s tricky. My favorite is The Empire Strikes Back. 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!’”.
While it’s not overly surprising that Fincher — who is considered one of the most astute directors in the business — was in contention for Star Wars: Episode VII, envisioning his take on a galaxy far, far away is a fascinating prospect indeed. Claustrophobic environments, jet-black themes, and of course, a hair-raising score by Trent Reznor.
Alas, Fincher isn’t exactly known for his close collaborations with studio executives, whether it’s altered endings or the way in which major companies view their target audiences in his eyes. Moreover, given the scale and hype surrounding Episode VII, in no way would Fincher have full control over his production, which is undoubtedly the underlying reason in and of itself.
As such, given J.J. Abrams’ passionate fandom for the IP along with his sci-fi track record in Star Trek and Super 8, the Lost director was ultimately better suited for the gig.
Star Wars: Episode VII will arrive in theatres on December 18th, 2015.