Stand-Alone Movies Zack Snyder Is Developing a Star Wars Film Outside the New Trilogy

[Willi Berg]

Zack Snyder Is Developing a Star Wars Film Outside the New Trilogy

By Claude Brodesser-Akner | VULTURE

Back in November, the Los Angeles Times reported that Man of Steel and 300 director Zack Snyder said he had no interest in directing the hotly anticipated seventh Star Wars film. But Vulture has learned that while this may be specifically true — he won’t be doing Episode VII — it was a bit of misdirection: He is in fact developing a Star Wars project for Lucasfilm that is set within the series’ galaxy, though parallel to the next trilogy. It will be an as-yet-untitled Jedi epic loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic Seven Samurai, with the ronin and katana being replaced by the Force-wielding knights and their iconic lightsabers. (Go ahead, say it — you know you want to: “ … an elegant weapon, for a more civilized age.” Felt good, didn’t it?)

It’s not clear just where Snyder’s untitled Jedi film would fall within the Star Wars chronology, but one insider expects it will not be considered part of the “numbered” episodes, but rather a stand-alone film set sometime post–Episode VI events, meaning the next phase of the franchise development is much broader than previously thought. For those unfamiliar, Kurosawa’s influential Seven Samurai (The Magnificent Seven was the American remake) tells the tale of a small agrarian town in seventeenth-century Japan that’s routinely pillaged by bandits. Fed up with the annual shakedown, its farmers retain the services of seven masterless samurai to defend their harvest. George Lucas has cited the classic as one of his favorites, telling the Telegraph in 2005 that “it’s a brilliant, brilliant film, and every time I see it I can't believe the magic mixture of a great story and great acting and humour and action and suspense — wonderful cinema. The art of moving pictures is on every frame of this movie.”

In late October of last year, when Disney CEO Bob Iger first announced the acquisition of Lucasfilm, he’d stated that after Episode VII, “our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years.” Our sources also say that Snyder’s would start production after Disney starts on its planned 2015 release of Star Wars: Episode VII, and while no director has yet been set for Episode VII, clearly things are taking shape at Lucasfilm. (A spokesperson for Lucasfilm declined comment.)

In the meantime, we are left to ponder the obvious geek questions: Do Snyder’s Jedi carry just a single lightsaber or a long one and a short one, like samurai do? Oh God, why do you torture us so!?

http://www.vulture.com/2013/01/zack-snyder-preps-non-trilogy-star-wars-film.html

 

[ThePhantasm]

Slow-mo lightsaber fights, here we come.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

YES! Do want!

 

[The Squirrel]

A new Star Film.
Another remake of Seven Samurai.

 

[NosfeRomas]

^This

Why Seven Samurai ? Kurosawa has done a lot films worth taking ides from, why does it have to be the Seven Samurai again and again and again !

Since it isnt part of the "numbered" movies they could use the Throne of Blood story, featuring rogue Jedi Knights (since it's set after ROTJ), Sith force spirits manipulating them. guys its badass !

 

[dude stannis]

Awesome news.

 

[747]

I'm a Star Wars nut, Seven Samurai is one of my absolute favorite movies ever and I think Zack Snyder has a great visual eye. Still divided about my opinion of him as a director in general, but that could all change after MoS which looks fantastic. So this news sure got me a bit wet, I can't deny that.

I don't want a straight remake of Seven Samurai, but taking the concept and putting it in such a wildly different context, intrigues me.

 

[Gabe99]

Zack Snyder Shoots Down Report He's Developing 'Star Wars' Film
The "Man of Steel" filmmaker is not developing a "Seven Samurai"-style "Star Wars" off-shoot, his rep tells THR

Director Zack Snyder has come forward to deny a report claiming he's journeying to a galaxy far, far away.

New York magazine's Vulture blog reported Monday that Snyder, the director behind 300, Watchmen and the upcoming Man of Steel, was developing a Star Wars movie. According to the site, the feature would not be part of the planned numbered trilogy but would be an off-shoot tonally in the vein of the Japanese classic The Seven Samurai.

But in an exclusive statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Snyder's spokesperson says: "While he is super flattered because he is a huge fan, Zack is not involved in any way with the new Star Wars. He is currently in post on his two films, Man of Steel and 300: Battle of Artemisia.”

That means no Episode VII, VIII or IX, and no offshoot movies, the rep confirms.

The idea of Snyder tackling a Star Wars project isn’t far-fetched. Lucasfilm is currently on the hunt for a filmmaker or two to tackle the final trilogy, which is in the process of being written by Michael Arndt. Directors ranging from J.J. Abrams to Jon Favreau to Matthew Vaughan have surfaced as possible (or dream) contenders.

And as THR previously revealed, the company is developing movies that would expand the Star Wars universe in off-shoot one-shots or trilogies. Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote 1981's Empire Strikes Back, and Simon Kinberg, a veteran of X-Men: First Class, are two writers penning stories that veer off the numbered movies.

Snyder, whose Cruel and Unusual Films is based at Warner Bros., is already busy with his own projects. In active development on his slate is the war drama The Last Photograph.

 

[Man in the Suit]

They denied it. Doesn't mean it isn't true. And they never specified what Star Wars movie. Episode VII? Or the Seven Samurai? Publicists are paid to do these things.

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

Dynamite meet boom.

UPDATE: Though the Hollywood Reporter quoted Snyder's rep as saying that he "is not involved in any way with the new Star Wars," Vulture stands by its story. This reporter heard through a source very familiar with the situation that Snyder recently flew up to Marin County to meet with Lucasfilm execs about the project. When subsequently contacted by Vulture, Snyder's spokesperson would only repeat that he "is" not currently involved. One should note the possible political ramifications here of our original story break: Snyder's last Warner Bros. film, Sucker Punch, lost millions for the studio, and execs there could have become distressed at the idea of him getting involved with another studio's franchise when they have so much at stake with their upcoming Man of Steel want him available for an immediate sequel.

http://www.vulture.com/2013/01/zack-snyder-preps-non-trilogy-star-wars-film.html?utm_source=%3Fmid%3Dtwitter_vulture&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nymag%2Fvulture+%28Vulture+-+nymag.com%27s+Entertainment+and+Culture+Blog%29

 

[Pink Ranger]

A new Star Film.
Another remake of Seven Samurai.

Already done. t:

 

[Gabe99]

From twitter:
Jeff Sneider ‏@TheInSneider

No clue how REAL the Zack Snyder - Star Wars offshoot rumors are but I GUARANTEE he met with Kathy Kennedy to pitch her that Seven Jedi idea

 

[Gianakin_]

Interesting. I wonder what that might mean for a possible MoS2, or his desire to do one.

 

[Roose Bolton]

I want both lol

 

[Gianakin_]

Ich auch.

 

[Zionite1]

Anyone else bothered about oversaturation.I mean we have talks about starwars tv shows,films and now offshoot films.....isnt that too much

 

[Gianakin_]

Nevah, this is gonna be my golden age as a moviegoer.

 

[fangz]

not particularly this, but this exact kind of thing is why i was so excited when i first heard the Disney/Lucasfilm buyout news.

i just thought it would take 10 or 15 years before it would be allowed to happen.

Star Wars needs to be the same kind of thing as WWII movie. in the sense that u can have From Here To Eternity, Saving Private Ryan and Inglorious Bastards all be WWII movies.
this is so rad.

 

[johnrain]

Do the 7 all have to be Jedi? Why not 7 differing warrior/bad ass types? A Jedi, a droid, a bounty hunter, a Dathomir witch, A smuggler, a slicer and a pilot?

 

[The Squirrel]

This has already been debunked, but yes they would all have to be Jedi. Just like they were all Samurais, and all Cowboys.

 

[Octoberist]

I think Zack came in for a pitch for maybe Episode 7 and along the way pitch his spinoff idea. But the problem is that his idea cannot contradict what Arndt, Kinberg and Kasdan (and now JJ) are planning for Episode 7, and the perhaps the future Episodes. I think that's why it probably didn't work out with Zack.

 

[bullets]

I like the idea. Hopefully they can still work something out.

 

[DeGenerate10]

Is this going to be the Yoda movie?

 

[Hypestyle]

So I guess this means that the fanboy desired Boba Fett solo film will get made-- but of course there's going to be all kinds of backbiting before an official script gets written, will anything possibly live up to the "what if" speculation of it? You can fill a galaxy with all the fan-fiction, official novels and comics written.. we'll see..

 

[TheDreamMaster]

So I guess this means that the fanboy desired Boba Fett solo film will get made-- but of course there's going to be all kinds of backbiting before an official script gets written, will anything possibly live up to the "what if" speculation of it? You can fill a galaxy with all the fan-fiction, official novels and comics written.. we'll see..

I wouldn't mind an adaption of the Enemy of the Empire storyline. We would get Boba, Vader, and see them fight each other. The rest of the story could be tweaked as its a bit forgettable (but not as forgettable as the Death, Lies, and Treachery series), but I think it could draw a crowd.