Since the big announcement of Disney’s mammoth purchase of LucasFilm Ltd and the Star Wars sequels getting the green light, I have been contemplating who would direct Star Wars Episode VII. I am not the only one who has been contemplating this. There are lists all over the internet for the choice of directors such as this one by Fandango and this one by This Week.
Most of these lists have a few big names that would cause the Geekdom to salivate. How KOOL would it be to have either J.J. Abrams or Joss Whedon? It would be FAN-tastic.
After all J.J. Abrams is a legend in the geek community. With excellent geek television series such as ALIAS, LOST, Fringe, and Revolution, he is a household name. He also has several big hit geektastic movies such has Super 8, Cloverfield, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. The possibility that the new Star Trek director could be the same as the new Star Wars director would blow our minds.
Joss Whedon is red hot director. Like Abrams, Whedon has a long geek resume. He has numerous iconic television series including Buffy, Angel, the awesome but short lived Firefly, and Dollhouse. His movies Serenity and Cabin in the Woods are fan favorites but not box office smashes. But The Avengers did bring the SMASH (Hulk anyone) to the box office and to fan’s hearts. Whedon already has a contract with Disney and could be tapped to direct Star Wars.
As much as the fans would love it, the odds are against either Abrams or Whedon directing Star Wars Episode VII. There are other possibilities that people are constantly discussing such as Ben Affleck (sorry, don’t see it or understand it), Christopher Nolan (Batman/ Dark Knight Trilogy), Duncan Jones (Moon), M. Night Shyamalan, Tim Burton, Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, and Steven Spielberg. All of these would be good choices. Some of them would not be able to direct because of other commitments. I want to look at a list that is a little more under the radar.
Here is my list of 12 Potential Under the Radar Star Wars Directors
12) Robert Reiner
Reiner is a really good director. He makes this list for one reason- he directed the great classic geekfest, The Princess Bride. He perfectly blended humor, action, and romance to make one of the greatest movies ever (in my opinion).
11) Frank Oz
Frank has the Star Wars Pedigree and understands the characters of the Star Wars Universe. He has a ton of directing experience. Can he direct sci fi/ fantasy? Frank Oz directed the fan favorite Dark Crystal. Oz is not a name you hear often unless it is associated with Muppets but he can direct.
10) Brenda Chapman
Brenda was the first lady to direct a major animated movie in the Prince of Egypt. She co-directed the wonderful Pixar movie, Brave. Her experience directing is limited but her job on Brave has me sold that she could do a great job. With a female director, maybe the movie would focus on a strong female character like Merida from Brave– potentially Mara Jade. She would be sleeper but I think she could deliver a great Star Wars movie.
9) Ron Howard
Opie doesn’t have a ton of experience with science fiction movies. Cocoon, Willow (a great George Lucas movie), and Apollo 13 are as close as his resume comes. But Howard would bring his Oscar winning reputation with him. I bet he would have a good time directing a Star Wars movie and maybe even sing “I found my thrills…” all the way to the bank.
8) Brad Bird
Both the Incredibles and The Iron Giant are great animated science fiction movies which Bird directed. He directed Tom Cruise and company in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Action movies and sci fi experience with a knowledge how to make a great movie that is family friendly.
7) Len Wiseman
Wiseman directed the first two and the last Underworld movies. He also directed the Total Recall remake. We know he can make really good sci fi movies. Could he make an excellent Star Wars movie? I would bet on it.
6) Terry Gilliam
Terry has directed series dramas, comedies, and sci fi/ fantasy. He could balance the great characters with some humor in a science fiction universe. Sound like how Irvin Kershner directed Empire. Any comparison to Kershner is great thing.
5) Robert Zemeckis
The director of the Back to the Future would be a good selection. He knows action movies with a family sensibility ( Romancing the Stone- anyone) and science fiction. Beowulf was not the greatest geek movie but it was decent. Remember even Lucas had his Batteries Not Included.
4) Bryan Singer
Singer did a great job of directing X-Men and X-2. He is directing X-Men: Days of Future Past so he might be busy. Singer has a great imagination and could bring it to the big screen with Star Wars.
3) Sam Rami
I really like Sam Rami. Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 were fantastic (lets not talk about 3 and pretend it didn’t occur). The Evil Dead, Quick and the Dead, and Army of Darkness are great movies. He made his name with fun geek shows like Xena, Hercules, and Legend of the Seeker. Sam might put his own spin on the series but he would also bring along fan favorite Bruce Campbell and Rami’s brother Ted. Bruce Campbell appearing in a Star Wars movie would alone be worth the price of admission.
2) Ridley Scott
Scott is only under the radar because no one believes this could even happen.
Ridley has directed some of the greatest sci fi movies of all time; Blade Runner, Alien, and Aliens. Gladiator is a great historical fantasy movie. Scott would be the be a huge name with geeks everywhere. Some will be caution after the mixed reaction to his Prometheus movie. It appears he will be pretty busy with these sequels so he is unlikely to direct Star Wars.
1) James Cameron
It would be difficult to call James Cameron under the radar for any geek but his name really has not made many of the lists I have read. I have been surprised that his name hasn’t been thrown around a ton.
Cameron would be a huge name in geekdom if selected. With sci fi movies like Terminator, T2, Aliens, and Avatar, his name will hold a ton of weight with all science fiction fans. If he directs, expect people to start lining up outside of movie theatres next summer for the 2015 release.
Let us know what you think of my list.
