Star Wars: Who’s Next To Direct?

Several months ago our own JJ Goodman wrote an article about who he would like to see as the the next batch of directors for the Star Wars universe. You can find that article here. The nice thing about lists like this is that they are easy to update or do one’s own list.

There’s one problem I see, however. If the current line up holds, both Rian Johnson and Benioff & Weiss will take the film world to almost 2030 before new movie directors are needed. Disney+ offers new possibilities for directing series and streaming movies, but the one question that remains is whether directors will deem streaming services as good a future as big screen projects?

In no particular order here is my list of 6 directors I’d love to see helm either full streaming series or Star Wars movie projects in the nearest possible future.

Possible Star Wars Directors #1: Andy Serkis (Avengers/Star Wars/Venom2)

Andy remains one of the great unsung talents in Hollywood. Everyone knows him from his role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings series, Ceasar from the Planet of the Apes series, and of course Star Wars fans know him as Supreme Leader Snoke.

His acting roles may usually be hidden behind digital masks, save for Klaue in the Avengers/Black Panther movies, but he spends a great deal of time behind the cameras as well. He directed the Performance capture video game Heavenly Sword, which was heavy on the acting. He directed many of the secondary units during the Hobbit trilogy, his own take on the Junglebook (Mowgli:Legend of the Jungle), and recently received the green light to helm Venom 2.

His fame grows with each product he touches. Venom 2 represents his latest step forward in the film world. Andy knows Star Wars, having acted in it, and he seems to possess a golden touch. Every project he takes part in garners accolades and positive attention. Star Wars could name no better leader on a Star Wars project than to give Andy helm.

#2 Andy Muschietti (It/It2)

This Andy is newer to the game than Serkis, but he also is turning into a hot commodity. He currently only possesses two major movies to his resume (and they are pt 1 and pt 2), but with the success of It and It: Chapter 2, Andy stands before many open doors. Currently he stands to direct the Attack on Titan film adaptation as well as a rumor that suggests he will helm The Flash movie.

So why does such a new and unknown director deserve a shot at a Star Wars project? Namely because of his character development. The It movies contained a few jumps here and there, but what really made these two movies stand apart belongs to how Andy drew out the actor’s performances. That and he finally created a successful Stephen King adaptation.

The first It became a critical hit because of the performances and nuances of the kids. Directing children can be rough at best, but Andy drew the best out of them and gave them something special. Andy contains the ability to deliver a tense film experience with characters audiences will likely fall in love with.

#3 Louis Leterrier (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance)

Louis Leterrier’s name probably causes empty looks and blank stares when mentioned. He directed movies such as Transporters 1&2, The Incredible Hulk, Unleashed, and Clash of the Titans. While enjoyable movies in their own right, those movies hardly stand out as major successes that warrant a shot at Star Wars; However, his most recent project generated buzz and re-energized a fan base that never knew it existed.

Louis’ latest project introduced a whole new generation to The Dark Crystal. He directed all 10 episodes of Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance for Netflix, and directed a visual masterpieceas well as told a story that enthralled and entertained viewers. He not only filled in gaps showing how things reached the stages as they appeared in the original movie, but he wove a complex story with new characters that could mirror a tale he might tell in the Star Wars universe.

The way Leterrier merged past and present would serve the Star Wars universe well. Let him pick a situation or event in the past that ties into the more modern stories and see what magic he can weave. I could see him easily doing a story similar to Rogue One. Then again with his experience with all those Henson muppets he could tell a wild tale of a Star Wars planet with creatures and terrain never before imagined.

(List continued on next page.)