Speculation Now Guillermo Del Toro Confirms That He Turned Down Episode 7

He wasn't asked to do it, he was aksed if he would be interested in doing it (in other words, should he be added to the list of directors). Half the people who turned it down weren't asked by Lucasfilm they were asked by the media and then stated they weren't interested. The whole of Hollywood is not just rejecting Lucasfilm

Del Toro is an amazing director and I think he coulda made some cool aliens but, to be honest, if I want a Del Toro Star Wars movie I really want him to direct, like, a Salacious B. Crumb road-trip flick. THAT would be amazing!

For a proper "episode", you need someone who can emulate Lucas' (and Kirshner and Marquand's and 40s classic filmmaking) style. Extreme stylistic directors I think might clash with that. I think I read that Favreau turned it down too but maybe he was just talking to throw people off. I still REALLY want a Steven Spileberg Star Wars movie but I think he doesn't wanna step on George's toes (which is a shame considering Spielberg came up with some cool action beats for Ep. 3). Matthew Vaughn would be a solid choice, his style would fit but he also has the odd, cool visual flourish that he can toss it but wouldn't be completely non-Star Wars "episode" like.

Solid is the most important thing really, that and being a fan.

Favreau is a fan but he's too up and down as a director IMO (Iron Man alone does make him worthy and tbh that's really all he's done that's of high calibre) as is Johnston. Vaughn has made only 4 movies and all of them were consistently good and well received.

What happenes in these deals is that the powers that be have a number of round table meetings and throw names around. Some are dismissed within the conversations, and others are left on the table. Those people's agents get the call to guage interest. If that person is not available for the project, or not interested at all, their is no further contact. By this point, none of these people where actually offered the chair. The rest of the folks who did express interest are certainly in talks now, with both sides looking for the right decision. We do not know who these people are right now.

The fun part is, the ones who got the call, by the basic nature of the Hollywood type, like to make pulbic statements like " I turned it down....."

They did turn down the opportunity to basically interview for the job, for whatever reason, but thats a far cry from being offered the position and turning it down.

I love Pan's Labyrinth. I'm not so fond of the Hellboy movies but I do like the visuals of those movies. I'm not sure if he'd been right for Star Wars--although the fact that "they" asked him probably means very little to begin with (as with any job; when "they ask you," it just means they want to see your application). Oh well.

^ This.

Important clarification. Thank You.

Elf and Zathura, I thought, were good movies as well. Iron man 2 had tons of script problems. Cowboys and Aliens was well shot, but didn't have a great script. Plus, its a goofy name and really strange conceptually.

Give Favreau a good script, that's all you need. I have no qualms about his directorial style or ability (aside from, maybe, a tendency towards actor improv "riffing" which he can tone down when needed) Since it's already a freakin' Star Wars script, I'm pretty sure he'll be fine. Also he gets a ton of + from me since his character on Clone Wars may be my favourite character he's ever acted. Probably the most menacing character he's ever done. The fact that it's animated helps.

The real interesting part in all of this on who the DP(director of photography)is.

The sad part is though with the advent of digital filmaking, as well as the likely hood of this film being shot in 3D, it may not matter all that much.

I wish this film would be shot on celluloid, but its probably not going to happen. Star Wars films are always technical spectacles. I just wish they have more practical sets and more natural lighting.

I'm not saying he didn't make good or OK movies, but that's not the sort of standard Lucasfilm should be aiming for. He struck gold with Iron Man, but how do we know he'll do it again with Star Wars? He could just make another Cowboys & Aliens which is fun but would still end up getting Prequel-levels of fan hate.

Honestly, considering the last three films which never, imo, got above "ok.":

The franchise would be just fine getting a good Star Wars movie on the level of "Return of the Jedi". Expecting a transcendent/ground breaking film(A New Hope), or a Cinematic genre masterpiece(Empire Strikes Back) is too much for the 7th entry in a series at this point.

Maybe when they can get away from the Skywalker stuff, and allow more creative freedom that can reemerge.

Hell maybe Favreau/Vaughn can pull something like that off. But I'm not making that expectation.

I consider ROTJ more than "good", it's not ESB or ANH calibre but the PT was "good" and ROTJ is better than those. If we get a film as good as ROTJ (aside from mostly copying a previous movie plot) I will be happy.

IMO anyway.

Never fear about franchise fatigue. It's not really a direct "sequel" (even though everyone is calling it that) but basically will be new characters and a few returning favourites from the OT. So there's a lot of potential to play around and it's plot wouldn't be a direct continuation of the end of "Jedi" in as much as "A New Hope" is a direct continuation of the end of "Sith". As in, not much. Also sometimes when franchises go on long enough, you end up with a weird reverse effect where things get better! The most recent Star Trek was a shockingly awesome upgrade compared to the last two. It took Harry Potter the whole series to put their best installment out as the final movie (not to say the other flicks were awful or even "just okay", but it's high watermark is the final flick to me).

I'm not worried about franchise fatigue with the next three installments. I'm worried about Bob Iger planning Star Wars movies every 2-3 years. Thats unsustainable imo.

Every 5 years I think would be fine, but doing an assembly line approach is not good.

Marvel will inevitably feel it for themselves once they get towards the end of this decade. Especially with the quality of films being all over the place.

What I am really hoping with Lucasfilm is that they start creating some other properties now that all of their production companies(ILM, Skywalker sound, Lucas animation)are all financed by a larger entity. I think periodical Star Wars films mixed in with a steady line of other productions is the way to go. I hope this is Kennedy's vision as well-to expand Lucasfilm.

The last thing I want Lucasfilm to become is a "Star Wars factory." It would be amazing to bring in new talent to tell their own stories within an integrated production framework.

Alright already!

You turned it down. This person and that person has turned it down (quite frankly I don't blame them) but who didn't already!?

I really want Favreau to direct this. I think that his directing style would fit Star Wars very well, and he puts good humorous touches in his movies, and is good with action. He is also good at pacing his movies. He has directed some that weren't great, but I think that comes down to less than stellar writing, and not his directing abilities.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Alfonso Cuaron.

The real interesting thing to see is where the series is going to go after the ST. Of course, this is assuming they just go straight through and make Ep.7-9 sequentially. Who's to say they don't try to "Marvel Phase 1" it and do character spin-off flicks in between the proper "episodes" and then, much like Avengers (which did it perfectly) the next "episode" is the climax of the spin-off flicks?

I do actually believe that they are going to go 7-9 all the way through. But the rumour that Kasadan and whatshisname might NOT be scripting the sequels does make the "Marvel Phase" method seem like a possibility. Which I'm kinda on the fence about. I do doubt they'll do Star Wars Episode 7! 8! 9! 10! 11! 12! 13! all in a row. At some point, there will be spin. As to initially coming out of the gate with Disney punching out the ST once every 2 years? Sign me up!

But, to get back to your larger point, yes Lucasfilm needs to make different properties to keep it going aside from just "all Star Wars, all the time". Marvel has a unique "out" simply because they CAN, when the chips are down, toss out, like, an R-rated "Punisher" movie or something crazy like that. Doing that in a "Star Wars" world mold would not fit at all. But Marvel's simple amount of different types of non-superhero and so forth is broader. You can do non "episode" Star Wars stuff too but there's still going to be something "Star Wars" about it. It actually doesn't have the broad range that Marvel can pull off.

I'm actually really jazzed at the idea and potential of the "spinoff" flicks. Like I said earlier in the thread "Del Toro directed Salacious B. Crumb roadtrip movie" across the Star Wars universe. I'm only half-kidding. I do think the "Marvel method" of spin-offs in between the episodes might be a bit much. Afterwards? Go for it! But if they're going to be "spin off" movies then don't stick exactly to the set "Star Wars movie" format. Like would it befit a Boba Fett flick to open up with the big BAH-DUM-DA-DAHHH!! horn blast & scrolling text? Nah, open it up as would be the best way to open up the movie. Maybe if there was, say, an Old Republic film then the traditional intro would apply. But really play with the format. That could be interesting. Might be diminishing returns for the box office but I'll still be there, opening day.

I mostly agree with that but Cuaron has gone the Rope-style unbroken single take method lately (it's an element in "Prisoner of Azkaban" but not to the point where it's an actual part of the movie like "Children of Men", his short in "Paris, Je T'aime" and apparently it's the same deal with "Gravity"). That's what I'm talking about when the director they pick should stylistically fit into the previous movies. If he uses it like how he used it in "Potter", it's all good.

I'd also consider Duncan Jones for Episode 8 and then let Brad Bird see out the trilogy with Episode 9.

Del Toro's Hellboy films are great, loved 'em! I'm a HUGE Mignola fan, and I've been collecting the Hellboy comics since they first appeared. I think it's because I love Lovecraft's work. When I heard he was doing Mtns of Madness, I was overjoyed. Finally, a big-budget movie based on a Lovecraft story! What took 'em so long? Ron Pearlman and Rupert Evans are prime examples of perfect casting choices. Ron ROCKED it! Nobody else could've pulled off Hellboy as well as he has. I hope Del Toro makes a third one (with Ron, of course).

On the other hand, I don't think he'd be the right director for a SW film. He's really good at doing strange, eerie, bizarre stuff...which SW is not. I'm not surprised he was approached, though.

You're right, of course, but that's all the more reason to admire the eventual guy or gal with the belief in their craft and the guts to step up to the plate.

I'd like to think that were I a director with the appropriate skillset (and no prior commitments) that I'd jump at the chance to put myself to the test and leave my mark on such a grand franchise, critics (and overzealous fanatics) be damned!

It's also possible that reason people are pulling out of the gig is the story treatment that's floating around is a big hunk of awful? Maybe some of the scoops in this thread were bang on! http://boards.theforce.net/threads/in-this-thread-please-fabricate-scoops-for-episode-7-9.50007554/

Honestly, I don't think the directors have even seen it. Or at least guys like Abrahms, Del Toro etc.

Del Toro even said it never got past a phone call.

I would be willing to bet you that the amount of people that know whats going on is probably a handful at this point. Nothing substantial will get leaked until probably casting starts.