Whilst many had hoped that J.J. Abrams would be sticking around to direct the complete new Star Wars trilogy, it now seems that will not be the case with a new director having been unveiled for Episode VIII. The man filling those shoes will be Rian Johnson, perhaps most well known for his unique Sci-Fi thriller Looper which starred Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon Levitt.
This news continues the recent trend of new directors having been announced for Star Wars movies with both Gareth Edwards and Josh Trank both set to direct separate Star Wars spin off movies. According to deadline, not only will Johnson be directing Episode VIII but he will also write the script and serve up the initial treatment for its direct numbered follow up Star Wars: Episode IX.
Johnson having originally started In movies with his excellent debut Brick is an interesting choice but continues Disney’s trend of bringing in younger directors with a proven background of making excellent Sci-Fi movies on a tight budget. The potential of what these fresh directors could do with a bigger budget and such a rich property as Star Wars is certainly tantalising.
What do you think to the announcement of Rian Johnson as the director of Star Wars: Episode VIII? We feel that he’s certainly got plenty of potential and could bring something fresh and exciting to Star Wars!
Via: IGN
Ben Corbett-Mills / @benleopards
