Star Wars Episode 7 Possible Directors; New Movie Hitting Theaters in 2015

Now that the world knows about Disney's plans to make a new Star Wars trilogy, the speculation on who should direct the film has begun.

Given the original Star Wars trilogy's cult status and its influence on film making, it is not difficult to imagine how many current film directors were not inspired to take up their vocations in hopes of making a film similar to Star Wars some day. With the Disney takeover, they don't have to hope to make a film like Star Wars; they can make a Star Wars film.

Natural speculation inevitably leads to the thinking that the new director should be a huge fan that will respect the franchise, but one has to question how big of a director Disney will want for the film. Based on Disney's past directing decisions for major franchises we can trim the choices. For The Muppets, they went with James Bobin, who had only done TV before directing the coveted franchise title. For their Avengers film they went with Joss Whedon, another TV veteran. When it came to Captain America, they went with former ILM employee Joe Johnston. For Iron Man 3, they went with Shane Black who had only directed one previous film: 2005's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. For The Incredible Hulk, the choice was Louis Letterier, who had helmed Clash of the Titans and The Transporter Films. The only exception for taking on a major blockbuster was Kenneth Branagh taking on Thor. From this list alone, it becomes pretty obvious that the auteur is not the likely direction that Disney takes with Star Wars.

The most obvious reason for this is control. Those dreaming of Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), Steven Spielberg, or David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo) can dismiss them since these filmmakers place their mark on their films something Disney will not want on their most valuable franchise. Warner Bros gave Chris Nolan carte blanche on the Batman franchise and when Nolan refused to make the third installment unless he did Inception, Warner Bros obliged.

More important is the fact that a big name director would likely be signed on for the three films to maintain the unity of style. Disney is not going to throw all of their eggs in one basket from the get-go. They will likely sign a smaller director for the first film and if it works, they may extend the leash one film at a time.

Now let us look at a few possibilities and whether or not they can happen.

Guillermo De Toro: The Mexican director was originally scheduled for the Hobbit, but scheduling issues ended that possibility. He is known for working on fantasy films and while he would be an intriguing choice is it highly unlikely due to scheduleing. A look at his IMDB page proves that he has no time in the next two years to make a Star Wars film (if he can even get to all those proposed projects). 

Joss Whedon: He has made a name for himself after The Avengers'  massive critical and financial success. While he would be a solid choice, he is already busy until 2015 with an Avengers TV show and the sequel to the first Avengers.  He is Unlikely  to direct the film.

Duncan Jones: The director of  Moon  and  Source Code  could be a possible choice.  He is currently not slated to direct anything past 2013 and has the resume in Sci-fi and special effects. He is not a huge profile auteur with just 3 films under his belt and he could be an attractive option for Disney.

Louis Leterrier: Another director that has worked with Disney before. However, his track record has not been positive as his major film have all been critically panned (Clash of the Titans, The Transporter). His Hulk  film had a 68 percent approval rating on aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. While he is possible he is also unlikely  due to his unproven track record.

Brad Bird: Another guy who has worked closely with Disney and recently succeeded with Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol. He is a possible candidate given his relationship with Disney.

Joe Johnston: Another possible and likely choice. He worked for ILM and directed a successful Captain America film. His past relationship with Disney and small profile makes him ideal for Disney to exercise their control.

JJ Abram: It is tough to gauge if he is an option for Disney. He has worked under the studio system to success, is a professed Star Wars films, and directed a successful reboot for Star Trek.  He will be available, but who knows if Disney wants the director of the rival Space opera franchise directing their own. Possible, but unlikely.

Rian Johnson: Another director in the mold of Duncan Jones who has carved out success for himself with small cult successes such as Brick and recently broke out with Looper.  He is a director on the rise (like Duncan) and could be a possible choice for Disney who may look to scoop him up before he becomes too large a name.

Neil Blomkamp:  Another director like Johnson and Jones who has a strong following after breaking out with District 9. He is making  Elysium, another sci-fi film that could cement him as a possible candidate.