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Who *should* have directed Star Wars:Episode 7?

GreenWarlockGreenWarlock Member Posts: 1,354
Try to keep the thread spoiler-free, but this *is* for folks who have seen The Force Awakens.

So my verdict on the new movie is that it is good, but just short of the greatness that the Star Wars brand carries with my generation that saw episodes 4-6 as first-run movies in the theatre. Who do we think would have made the dream team behind the cameras?

I will grant that JJ Abrams captured the look and feel of the Star Wars universe in a way that the prequel trilogy did not, and I doubt that anyone else would really top that - so I would like to see JJ as part of my dream team.

However, the story and pacing felt more like 'just another Abrams' movie for me, rather than epic Star Wars, so who would I want to see doctoring the script?

My first call for genre fiction on the screen is usually Joss Weedon, especially after the first Avengers movie, but also Firefly and Angel (I haven't seen much Buffy or Dollhouse). But while I think that Joss would have given us a different film, I'm not sure it would have been significantly better in his hands - I'm calling that tie with the current team.

Kevin Smith is a fan that can make good movies, and I expect he would have really dialed in the Star Wars flavor - but I am not sure he can handle a big AAA production. He does amazing quirky comedies, and I would have loved to see his Superman script made, but I suspect he would fall short again on Star Wars - perhaps a collaborator with Abrams, it might have tuned up a few of the moments that needed to hit their mark better, but I don't think is quite the total package. Better, but still not good enough!

I'm going with J Michael Strazinski. Abrams is a strong believe in Show, Don't Tell, and my main problem with TFA is that if he /can't/ show something, he won't tell us about it either. JMS has a rich history of telling rich stories with dialog as much as with action, frequently limited by TV budgets. He brings the missing part of the equation to complement the magic already on show. Would this pairing work? In practice, I doubt it, as egos of creatives tend to clash when they have different visions, but that is my proposed dream team. What is yours?

Comments

  • MathsorcererMathsorcerer Member Posts: 3,037
    I would second the choice of JMS. Ideally, JMS would have written the screenplay and Brad Bird would have been in the director's chair.
  • brusbrus Member Posts: 944
    Christopher Nolan or Peter Jackson
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    brus said:

    Christopher Nolan or Peter Jackson

    Nooooooooo!
    GreenWarlock
  • brusbrus Member Posts: 944
    edited December 2015
    @Fardragon , as if I heard you say http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/
    Why not ? I would like that Star wars explores more core sci-fi elements and not just give the people what they want. The movie needs some thought provocating theme beside explosions.
    I wouldn't like that the movie recycles the saga endlessly. It could become the soap thing.
  • GreenWarlockGreenWarlock Member Posts: 1,354
    Christopher Nolan tends towards moody/dark material, that he does well, but does not suit my taste for Star Wars Saturday Morning Matinee adventure serial format.

    Jackson is too fond of bigger and badder chase scenes - his King Kong reminded me of little more than What If George Lucas had made Kong like the Star Wars prequels, a real step back. While I loved LotR, he did not have the ability to change pace to tell The Hobbit equally well.

    Two more names I will throw out are Luc Besson (I LOVED 5th Element) and Quentin Tarantino. I think both would produce interesting takes, I am especially intrigued by the thought of a Tarantino Star Wars (think of movies he has written, rather than directed), but I think both would be better in the realm of the expanded universe than the main franchise.
  • brusbrus Member Posts: 944
    edited December 2015
    I forgot to suggest James Cameron or Ridley Scott, one of the fathers of modern sci-fi.
    My vote for episode IX is definetely Cameron.

    Christopher Nolan tends towards moody/dark material, that he does well, but does not suit my taste for Star Wars Saturday Morning Matinee adventure serial format.

    That's what I'm afraid about: making a mainstream media to satisfy the public and loosing the depth of sci-fi.
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    Mel Brooks.
    elminster[Deleted User]
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018

    Quentin Tarantino.

    Didn't we already see that?

    image

    I personally liked the movie a lot and think that people haven't given it enough credit. After all, even 'A new hope' was a bit slow in parts. I suspect that a lot of the detractors are "Remembering" through rose colored glasses, and this coming from someone who saw A new Hope in theaters. Give it a chance and I bet that Episode 8 will raise the bar.

    With that having been said, I would like to see Joss' take on the universe. Maybe one of the tangential movies?
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