Star Wars Bits: Frank Marshall Comments On ‘Episode VII’ Directors And ‘Indiana Jones 5,’ Joe Johnston Responds To Fan Speculation
Two people with very unique perspectives on thisStar Warsbusiness are producerFrank Marshalland directorJoe Johnston. Marshall has worked with LucasFilm extensively in the past, producing all fourIndiana Jonesfilms (among others) and just so happens to be married to the CEO of the company,Kathleen Kennedy. Johnston is a well-known director who worked on all three films in the originalStar Warstrilogy and publicly declaredhis desire to make a newStar Warsmovie. So what’s going on with these guys in regards toStar Wars Episode VII?
After the jump, read what Marshall had to say about the news, including inside information on possible directors and what this all means forIndiana Jones 5, as well as Johnston’s response to a blog post saying he’s the best candidate to directStar Wars Episode VII.
First up,MTV spoketo Marshall about the Disney acquisition of his wife’s company at theBreaking Dawn Part 2premiere. He saidIndiana Jones 5is very much on the backburner, there are no updates and thatEpisode VIIis down to a couple of directorial candidates. Watch the video for more.
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Pretty standard stuff there. We know that LucasFilm has been taking meetings with directors about the job and obviously they have a list in mind. The bigger question is, who is on that list? More on that in a second but, either way, Marshall being involved in anyway – even if its just the tangential at home conversation with his wife – is a good thing.
One name we surprisingly haven’t heard reported as a candidate forStar Wars Episode VIIis Joe Johnston. Johnston, best known for directingThe Rocketeer, Captain America: The First AvengerandJurassic Park 3, has an incredibly strong resume for this job in particular. First, he was a visual effects artist onEpisodes IV, VandVI,giving him a unique perspective on the franchise. Second, besides the great movies he’s directed, he’s worked with Kennedy in the past, something she said was important inher latest interview. Third, Johnston has said he’d love to make aBoba Fett movie, so he’s thought about the pressure of making a newStar Warsmovie. All of this make him a very strong contender, at least on paper, for the position.
In fact, he’s such a strong contender, Movies.com editor Erik Daviswrote a great blogsaying he should direct the films. And frankly, I agree.
In response to that blog post,the Huffington Postasked Johnston if he would direct the film, and his response was illuminating:
A lot would depend on what ‘it’ is. I am very glad to see Lucasfilm cranking up to get productive again, regardless of who ends up doing it.
First of all, that statement certainly suggests he’s open to directing, which is great news. Plus, if you click on the HuffPo link, there’s a great quote on whatStar Warsmeans to him. Long story short: it means a lot.
The quote also gives a hint at a timeline. While LucasFilm has been meeting with directors, you’d have to imagine with such a pressure packed job opening, very few directors worth their fee would sign on without reading a script. So until Michael Ardnt is done, I have a feeling we’ll just have to keep on speculating.
Do you think Johnston would be a good choice, let alone the best one?
