The Force Awakens Star Wars VII Director? - Part 1

[FilmNerdJamie]

Dumb question. Has Nolan been approached?

Yep. Not that it means anything.

 

[georgec]

After I saw Stardust some years ago, I thought, "If Lucas finances a new SW trilogy, this is the guy [Vaughn] he needs to hire to direct it."

He just makes too much damn sense.

 

[flickchick85]

Between Nolan and Vaughn for this project, I'd prefer Vaughn all the way. I really hope he's already got the job, as all my other picks have publicly dropped out of the race, lol.

 

[Sawyer]

Yeah, I want Nolan on some non-franchise stuff for awhile. I need more Mementos and Prestiges.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Between Nolan and Vaughn for this project, I'd prefer Vaughn all the way. I really hope he's already got the job, as all my other picks have publicly dropped out of the race, lol.

Me too. Nolan does best when there's some limit of restraint. And with Jedi, it's tough to do.

 

[Doc Ock]

Yeah, I want Nolan on some non-franchise stuff for awhile. I need more Mementos and Prestiges.

Yeah, I wouldn't want Nolan to ever do Star Wars anyways (unless it was a spin-off). He needs more awesome mind-bending films. The Prestige is one of my favorites.

I still have yet to watch Stardust, so many people have recommended it. I just haven't gotten to it yet...

 

[Solidus]

Me too. Nolan does best when there's some limit of restraint. And with Jedi, it's tough to do.

Again I disagree with that. I think the projects he chooses, he wants that type of restraint, and the films allow it. Batman out of all the big superheroes always lead to that more then others. However, that does not equal that he can't do that.

And hey maybe he could not, but I just think because of the things he has chosen so far, has lead many to believe that is all he can do. He is a massive Star Wars fan, it's what got him into film making to begin with, and I think he would know that restraint would not work there. (However much more restraint is needed then what was done in the prequels whoever it may be directing it).

But Vaughn would be awesome. And I would prefer him. But what happened to all the talk about Fincher? The reason why I think it may be Vaughn, Nolan or Fincher is because how quiet they have been when usually they pop up their next projects pretty fast. It's odd that Nolan (who is great friends with Alan Horn who was the ex-COO of WB and now works with Disney and Lucasfilm ordeal) has not talked of his next project (though he may need a break). Vaughn sure got quiet as well, and Fincher, have not heard anything from him.


I just want them to announce it and get it over with lol. Like many have said I think they have had whoever it is picked for a while. Why they are waiting? I dunno.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I think we're saying the same thing. I never said be couldn't. I just said he does better with restraint because he likes it that way.

Nolan hasn't said anything about his next project because he said in recent interviews that he's just enjoying his break for now.

 

[Dude of Steel]

he's just enjoying his break for now.

He's also busy producing Man of Steel and Wally's directorial debut.

 

[Solidus]

I think we're saying the same thing. I never said be couldn't. I just said he does better with restraint because he likes it that way.

Nolan hasn't said anything about his next project because he said in recent interviews that he's just enjoying his break for now.

I think he may like to branch out too, but who knows? And ya he has been going straight from project to project since Begins, he needs a break for sure.

 

[dude stannis]

Who else said they won't direct it?

Maybe/rumoured:
Matthew Vaughn
Christopher Nolan
Jon Favreau
Joe Johnston
David Fincher

Out:
Quentin Tarantino
Steven Spielberg
Zack Snyder
JJ Abrams
Gareth Evans
Sam Mendes
Ben Affleck
Brad Bird
Mike Newell
Colin Trevorrow
Guillermo Del Toro

Now, obviously Nolan and Fincher are unlikely, but you never know in this world. A few short years ago the concept of Joss Whedon doing an Avengers movie was a laugh worthy concept.

 

[georgec]

There's no way Nolan would even consider doing SW. Just doesn't seem like his thing. I'm surprised people still think he's in the running.

 

[dude stannis]

The guy could if he wanted too. Maybe he wants to make something his kids would want to watch.

 

[Dude of Steel]

After working on Man of Steel, he might want to give science fiction a chance.

 

[fangz]

Me too. Nolan does best when there's some limit of restraint. And with Jedi, it's tough to do.

haha. word

there was a time that Nolan was able to police himself. but, sadly, i think that ape has run amok too long too ever fit back in it's cage again.

Vaughn would be thee perfect resurrection candidate if it was clear who was in charge. i think that someone more low key and generic is what is beginning to emerge when i look to the immediate future. things need to shake out about the power structure and lines of communication between Disney and Lucasfilm first.

keep the faith, my brother, we will get Star Wars back in our lifetimes.

 

[soundofyousick]

There's no way Nolan would even consider doing SW. Just doesn't seem like his thing. I'm surprised people still think he's in the running.

Nolan said in an interview that '2000AD' was the only regular comicbook he read growing up, so sci-fi/space fantasy obviously appeals to him from a storytelling perspective. But, eh, maybe what you meant is that it's maybe not his thing is to continue on from an established franchise/story. Even with Batman, he built the new series from the ground up, so even though it was not his concept, the world and presentation was his to imagine(as we know, BM can be interpreted many different ways, unlike SW).
So with SW, he would be constrained by many factors, much moreso than with a new BM series, ie here he is continuing a story(and even then, a story that most felt had already ended, so it is ripe for overextending it's welcome).
I can't see him doing SW either, but then again, never underestimate the power of SW in cinema, and filmakers wondering to themselves exactly what would happen if they took on the challenge of bringing SW back to it's glory days.

 

[Solidus]

The guy could if he wanted too. Maybe he wants to make something his kids would want to watch.

Oh ya, people just have to limited of a view. Thinking he can only do one thing. The man is a superb film maker, he could easily stretch his legs and do other types of things. That and people have to remember it's most likely there will be one director per episode. This would not be him putting in for a trilogy again. If he had a chance to do Star Wars I don't know if he would shun it.

 

[fangz]

Again I disagree with that. I think the projects he chooses, he wants that type of restraint, and the films allow it. Batman out of all the big superheroes always lead to that more then others. However, that does not equal that he can't do that.

And hey maybe he could not, but I just think because of the things he has chosen so far, has lead many to believe that is all he can do. He is a massive Star Wars fan, it's what got him into film making to begin with, and I think he would know that restraint would not work there. (However much more restraint is needed then what was done in the prequels whoever it may be directing it).

But Vaughn would be awesome. And I would prefer him. But what happened to all the talk about Fincher? The reason why I think it may be Vaughn, Nolan or Fincher is because how quiet they have been when usually they pop up their next projects pretty fast. It's odd that Nolan (who is great friends with Alan Horn who was the ex-COO of WB and now works with Disney and Lucasfilm ordeal) has not talked of his next project (though he may need a break). Vaughn sure got quiet as well, and Fincher, have not heard anything from him.


I just want them to announce it and get it over with lol. Like many have said I think they have had whoever it is picked for a while. Why they are waiting? I dunno.

this is right on too. Nolan needs something like Batman or Star Wars in order to balance his worst tendencies. Because his strongest point is being able to think of singular rad events that happen in a movie.

Like i picture him sitting in a room and almost fully born, he gets a vision of something perfect. like Batman doing his stealth mission in Asia or one of the setpieces in Inception. and he can manage to think of about five or six things like this but then he's totally incapable of connecting the dots between them. and if no one actually does this dot connecting, we're left with five or six really well done scenes, seemingfully very powerful at the time, that actually don't mean a thing to us. whether we realize it at the time or two hours later. So, in that sense, he's kind of a con man. (which I'm sure he'd take as a compliment, haha)

So an already established property, like Batman, is perfect because all the depth in the character and how they relate to everyone else has already been established. For Nolan, it's like walking into a whole mansion of already connected dots, and he can just do what he does naturally and it'll all make sense to us.

That's why, in my opinion, Batman Begins and TDK work so well but where Inception completely fails. but then when he returns to Batman for TDKR, I just feel like he's not able to go back to that mansion of connected dots. It's like instead, he decides to build this whole add on wing of his own either because little things about the decor bugged him, or he just got bored cuz he wants to do his own stuff. And it just seems like with TDKR, he almost wasn't able to connect with the Batman character except on the most abstract level. So we had about 7 or 8 really rad scenes that in the end, again meant nothing to us.

I feel like he'd do the same thing for Star Wars. It'd be like prequel era George Lucas, but if George Lucas was a genius. so it'd only be a little better than what we got with the prequels. Like imagine if Nolan directed ROTS. how bad ass and amazing that fight between Obi Wan and Anakin at the end would've been. Nolan would've given it the perfect tone and added all the touches that would've elevated it past the level of the big budget BBC drama that it plays out like now. But even tho that individual scene, and all the individual scenes throughout the whole movie would've been better, I don't see Nolan being able to make us care more about it.

that's just not what he's good at. even before when he was able to keep himself more in check.

Star Wars needs a director that excels at small encounters between characters and that knows how to be dramatic. How little things can imply larger things and how not to rely on perfunctory exposition to move the movie from point to point. Star Wars has always been conceived as and works best as pulp fiction.

Which in modern times, comes off as cheesy and overly adherent to nonsense logic and the crutch of melodrama. So I can see how a lot of people might immediately associate Nolan to it.

But they are missing the real art of that type of styleization. Vaughn gets it way better. I wish we could clone him. and Joss Whedon. and Guillermo Del Toro. and Brad Bird.

These are people that actually excel at what is called for in a Star Wars movie.

 

[Solidus]

Ya that's not what I said at all, and most in here including me would heavily disagree with you. The man's stand alone work is some of his best. Memento and Inception are hands down some of his best work. He actually connects the dots better than most.

 

[fangz]

Maybe/rumoured:
Matthew Vaughn
Christopher Nolan
Jon Favreau
Joe Johnston
David Fincher

Out:
Quentin Tarantino
Steven Spielberg
Zack Snyder
JJ Abrams
Gareth Evans
Sam Mendes
Ben Affleck
Brad Bird
Mike Newell
Colin Trevorrow
Guillermo Del Toro

Now, obviously Nolan and Fincher are unlikely, but you never know in this world. A few short years ago the concept of Joss Whedon doing an Avengers movie was a laugh worthy concept.

as unfun as it sounds, i think from the maybe list you got,
that Joe Johnston seems like the most likely.

i don't see how him having worked on the original trilogy qualifies him more. it's like when people fancast who should be Dr Strange and guess what? everyone's already been photographed with a goatee and some kind of raggedy Dr Strange haircut. that's the whole Johnny Depp Dr Strange argument....'well, he's had a goatee and kinda always acts uncomfortable or weird. Dr Strange. Dr Weird. you know?'

like it's impossible to grow facial hair or add it in makeup. people tend to superficially create these kind of associations and overlook what's more relevant.

anyways tho, Joe Johnson seems like this to me. I don't think he's that great, he doesn't really enforce much vision onto a movie other than maybe a coherence in stylization. set design, costume, camerawork, etc.

Captain America was easily the second weakest Marvel Phase 1 film, i think. and I love the Captain America character. The first half of it was actually pretty good, but he wasn't able to sell what connected Steve Rogers to this new alter ego. (although, that's not really his fault, i don't think that Marvel's been able to really make a strong background for why Steve is the way he is. I've just always taken that leap and started with the real Captain America being defined after he woke up from his ice block)

but it seems a little unclear about what the situation is gonna be for anyone actually directing this film. how Lucasfilm is now going to function within the larger authority of Disney. and for this reason, Johnston's having worked with Lucas in the past probably makes him a good compromise candidate for both camps.

Favreau might really work too. in this case because of his prior relationship to Disney thru Avengers but also in his value to Disney as the person who helmed Iron Man. he seems like a definite possibility but i'd thought he already said he wasn't interested. one of those 'rather be a fan' kind of answers.

people sure come off as feeling free to talk relatively openly about the situation tho. it seems like the safer thing that covers ass a lot better would be not to say anything about whether you were asked or not.

Vaughn is the riskiest choice of the three. but of course the one i think would do the best job. the others on the maybe list just seem like they wouldn't work to me.

 

[fangz]

Ya that's not what I said at all, and most in here including me would heavily disagree with you. The man's stand alone work is some of his best. Memento and Inception are hands down some of his best work. He actually connects the dots better than most.

Memento, I agree, that seems that like the movie he always had in him or something. I also do like the movie about the guy who breaks into other people's apartments. and i loved Batman Begins. but Prestige, even tho i liked it, was kind of where I felt like he started to buy into something that i'd describe as being more about himself than about the movie he's making. i feel like it was there in TDK but that his respect for the Batman character and how it probably served as an archetype for him to project on, those things kept the movie on track. and Heath Ledger raised the whole thing to greatness.

and as for Inception, i just disagree. for me, that whole movie was a silly mess but one that i do respect the talent of the person who made it. same as i see TDKR. but with TDKR, i get the feeling that he just wasn't into the whole Batman thing anymore.

but I think he's great and if he ended up making any Star Wars film, I'd seriously be excited as f&@k to see what he came up with. he's definitely a dude with a vision of what he wants things to be like. and especially with movies, that gets good art made.

 

[fangz]

Part of why I think Nolan is unlikely is because of the nature of this being the first of Disney's ownership of the franchise.
I think they'll want to stay within certain expectations for it. Nolan would definitely come with the price of ceding some control over that. to his credit. Favreau or Vaughn seem more like guys that naturally tend to turn in what Disney will be looking for in this film anyway.

 

[BatLobster]

I think for Nolan, he just might be exhausted from finishing one huge franchise that jumping into an even bigger one might not seem too appealing to him right now. I say this because I think he now has that status in Hollywood where the gig would be his if he really wanted it.

I also think he has the self-awareness to know that his style doesn't exactly marry well to the established Star Wars tone, even if he himself is a huge fan and grew up loving the movies. You'd have to really selflessly dedicate yourself to honoring the tradition of Star Wars, and that's really not the right job for an established auteur. It's one thing for a character like Batman that has thrived on various interpretations, but there is a definite formula to a Star Wars movie that you have to work within. Star Wars has its own cinematic language, just as Nolan has his.

So yeah, I think if he had the sudden urge to want to do it and really do it justice, he could have gotten the job but I imagine he wants to enjoy the freedom he has right now rather than commit to something so huge and specific. And yes, I think Matthew Vaughn is probably the best guy for the job out of anyone that's been mentioned. I think he's the odds on favorite at this point.

 

[fangz]

@BatLobsterRises - yes, he definitely has the self-awareness and intuitive aesthetic sense to know where he wouldn't fit naturally.
and it's not that he's incapable of turning in movies that are outside what we are used to him doing as of yet. i'm sure.
the thing you said about cinematic language is important. because I think Disney will respect that with this movie, if for no other reason than to make it profitable. plus these people all were kids once and there's a genuine love for Star Wars that I think a lot of people recognize and respect.

but I get really excited to think about what we might see once the whole Star Wars universe starts to feel more open to some amount of personal expression. I don't mean anything silly, the skits that Conan O'Brien does of different directors doing Star Wars are already making fun of this line. but I mean when people can really start going off on tangents because Star Wars will have almost become like an accepted genre. movies won't have to be about the Skywalkers, or even really directly have anything to do with Jedi vs Sith.

Star Wars movie will be a thing like WWII movie. you can tell a lot of different kinds of WWII stories.

I've always had this weird fantasy that Tarantino would do a Han/Chewie kind of prequel movie, their adventures pulling crazy **** before we saw them in New Hope. and that Tarantino would be able to tone himself down and make himself work within certain limits of the franchise. but one offs like that will be possible whereas now, as Episode 7, that would just be weird. that's when I can see people like Nolan coming in and killing a couple Star Wars movies, cuz they'd obviously just be the current episodes and temporary.

i guess this is going back to the same James Bond thing that always comes up with comic book movies. i'm just looking forward to the day that there are Spider-Man movies. no reboots or even actual worries about continuity, just Spider-Man movies and directors would get 1 or 2 at the most to make their point. in general, people would just try to leave things the same way they were when they came in. you just add on the next episode.

 

[capri]

I think we can rule out Nolan. Apparently he is doing 'Interstellar'. It seems Vaughn will get the job in the end. (My dream is to see Blomkamp directing it, but sounds difficult)