Well THIS is certainly a plot twist bigger than the Death Star itself: Colin Trevorrow, the Jurassic World director slated to direct the next episodic Star Wars film has been removed from the directors’ chair, according to a statement from Lucasfilm posted in StarWars.com. Nerdist has confirmed the news with Disney.
The statement reads as follows:
Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX. Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon.
The news comes as a shock to many, and a welcome surprise to others who were concerned about Trevorrow’s spotty track record following acclaim from his work directing the indie time travel flick, Safety Not Guaranteed. As Trevorrow was also working on the script, it’s likely his work will not be completely erased, no doubt nabbing him a story by credit if nothing else.
However, it is important to note that Trevorrow’s firing is completely reasonable (and for some, expected). Even though it made money at the box office, Jurassic World was largely derided by critics, and his follow-up, Book of Henry, followed suit (without the added benefit of making any sort of profit). Given the recent events—Rogue One‘s major reshoots, the firing of Phil Lord and Chris Miller from the Untitled Han Solo Film—Disney, frankly, made a solid choice to reconsider its personnel choices when it comes to helming the Star Wars universe.
The news is still developing, so keep it locked as we further update the story…
Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor, creator/co-host of Fangirling, and resident Khaleesi of House Nerdist. Find her on Twitter!
Image Credit: Universal Pictures
