Star Warsis a long-running multimedia sci-fi franchise that has spanned the last four decades. With several films, TV series, and video games, itis one of the most popular franchises on the planet, even earning its own convention called Star Wars Celebration. Thanks to the brilliant mind of George Lucas, theStar Warsgalaxy is seemingly endless as the vast setting allows for a variety of stories and characters, new and old, to be made.
Since therelease ofA New Hopein 1977,Star Warshas surged in popularity, gaining a huge following after the release of the entire original trilogy. Its success led to the creation of the prequels and subsequent sequels, making a total of nine films in the original saga, not including spin-offs. With a total of nine films and even more stories made for television, this gave Lucasfilm a number of opportunities to invite major directors to join the crew of the nextStar Warsfilm. Here are eight directors who almost directed a film set in theStar Warsuniverse.
8Steven Spielberg
Understandably, George Lucas' first choice to directReturn of the Jediwas the award-winningSteven Spielberg. Despite the fact that Spielberg was eager to take the job, Lucas' actions made this impossible. Before production forReturn of the Jedibegan, he left the Director’s Guild of America. As a result, the film became a non-union project. While this may not seem relevant, the guild did not allow any members to direct non-union projects. This unfortunate reality made it impossible for Spielberg to direct the film, although he did provide Lucas with a recommended alternative to take his place (viaCBR).
Related:The Story of Star Wars: How the Iconic Movie Got Made (and Almost Didn’t)
7Josh Trank
Even before the creation ofThe Mandalorian, Lucasfilm had developed the concept for a miniseries revolving around Boba Fett, one that would later become the Disney+ seriesThe Book of Boba Fett. Along with the original writer, Lucasfilm hiredJosh Trankto direct the series. While Trank was initially excited to take on the project, he eventually decided to leave due to creative differences. He recently revealed that he was not let go, but that he did indeedleave the projectbefore he could get fired. Trank has gone on to direct the biographical film about Al Capone,Capone.
6Robert Zemeckis
Known for hisBack to the Futuretrilogy,Robert Zemeckiswas approached to direct the first of the prequels,The Phantom Menace. While it is not clear why exactly Zemeckis turned down the job, it wound up being Lucas who directedThe Phantom Menaceand the rest of the prequel trilogy. Despite the fact that this never came to pass, considering his previous experience in directing sci-fi films, it leaves us wondering ifThe Phantom Menacewould have been more palatable had Lucas outsourced directing and if Zemeckis had directed the film.
5David Lynch
David Lynchis an award-winning director with several unique films under his belt, includingEraserheadandThe Elephant Man. Lucas approached Lynch to directReturn of the Jediafter viewing his previous films and being a fan of their style. While he considered the offer, Lynch felt that he wouldn’t get the creative freedom that he would have wanted working on the film and that Lucas would have been able to dictate his every move. At the end of the day, Lynch turned down the job and made the originalDune.
While many fans have thought that only J.J. Abrams was in line to directThe Force Awakens,Brad Birdwas initially approached to take on the task. With successes likeThe Iron GiantandThe Incredibles, Bird’s unique style could have brought a whole new feel to the iconic saga. However, he wound up turning down the opportunity to directTomorrowland.When asked about his decision to turn, Bird later admitted that there would have been no way for him to directThe Force Awakenswhile also working onTomorrowland,and he had no intention of going back on his commitment to the latter.
Related:Star Wars: Every Movie That Didn’t Happen (& Why)
3James Mangold
James Mangoldis most known for his work onLoganand the upcomingIndiana Jonesfilm. Something that he could have potentially added to his roster isThe Book of Boba Fett.When Trank was no longer attached to the project, Lucasfilm brought in Mangold as writer and director. While in production, Lucasfilm changed direction and decided to focus its efforts onThe Mandalorian. As a result, Mangold was dropped altogether. Considering the success of his previous work, it leaves us wondering what he would have brought toThe Book of Boba Fett.
2Paul Verhoeven
One of the many directors considered to directReturn of the JediwasPaul Verhoeven. After Spielberg turned down the opportunity, he recommended Verhoeven to take on the job. While he was under consideration for a while, Lucas made the decision not to hire him as his previous style, as seen in his filmSpetters, was far more graphic than Lucas wished for inReturn of the Jedi.While it’s understandable that Lucas wanted to keep the films a little more family friendly, we can’t help but wonder what Verhoeven would have brought to the classicStar Warsmovie.
1Colin Trevorrow
When development ofRise of Skywalkerfirst began,Colin Trevorrowwas hired as writer and director of the final film in theStar Warssaga. However, Trevorrow was replaced by J.J. Abrams, and while the reasons behind this still remain unclear, rumors circulated that producer Kathleen Kennedy disliked his writing style and lost hope for the success ofRise of Skywalkerdue to the box-office failure of Trevorrow’s filmBook of Henry. That said, it would seem that a huge mistake was made in letting Trevorrow go ashis leaked scripthas united fans in agreement that, had he been in charge ofRise of Skywalker, the film would have been much better.
