Star Wars fans sceptical about Colin Trevorrow directing Episode IX
IT HAS been a big weekend for Star Wars fans with some huge announcements, including the director for Episode IX.
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IT WAS a big weekend for Star Wars fans with huge announcements but many were still not feeling The Force.
At its D23 convention on Saturday, Walt Disney Studios revealed that new Star Wars-themed fun park attractions would be built in two locations and also launched the first image of spin-off film Rogue One.
But it was chairman Alan Horn’s announcement that Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow would direct Star Wars: Episode IX, the third film in the new trilogy, that seemed to have fans up in arms.
Trevorrow rose to prominence after the success of indie film Safety Not Guaranteed and went on to direct and co-write mega-hit Jurassic World, which has become the third highest grossing film in the world.
While Trevorrow’s foray into the dinosaur franchise was welcomed by many critics praising the movie’s impressive visuals, it was criticised by some fans for its uninspiring plot and characters.
Jurassic World currently holds a score of 71 per cent on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. News that Trevorrow would take on the Star Wars franchise was met with a lukewarm response.
“Not the most inspiring choice,” was the top comment on social news site Reddit. Another user summed up their feelings with one word — “MEDIOCRE” — referencing a popular line from George Miller’s smash hit Mad Max: Fury Road.
An Instagram post announcing his appointment was also filled with negative comments.
“Great! I’m sure he’ll write crappy female characters, just like he did in Jurassic World!”, deathstardaily posted.
“You’ll get ‘blue’ the raptor killing the stormtroopers!”, another fan said, mocking a shaky plot line from the film.
One simply said: “Star Wars is gonna be ruined.”
But some did defend Trevorrow. “He’s a good director,” said one fan. “The only thing that made Jurassic World kind of bad is the writing and script. But Colin directed it well.”
Another reminded fans that there was a similar outcry when J.J. Abrams was announced as the director of the first film in the new trilogy.
“Funny I remember the massive outcry of people hating that JJ was directing EP VII but are now thrilled with the choice,” they wrote. “I’m all for this since JWorld was a very fun movie and his direction obviously helped to make it a good movie, not great but good.”
There has been huge hype around the release of Abrams’ Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, which will hit cinemas on December 18. The trailer for the film was so good that it saw Disney’s share price skyrocket immediately after it was released.
Previously, Abrams directed Mission: Impossible III and was co-creator of the TV series Lost.
The next episode in the trilogy will be directed by Rian Johnson, who oversaw the highly acclaimed film Looper and is expected to bring an interesting approach and strong storytelling to the franchise.
Trevorrow’s own production won’t begin for a few years and is slated for release in 2019.
“Colin is someone I’ve been interested in working with ever since I saw Safety Not Guaranteed,” Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement announcing the appointment.
“The power of that film paired with the enormous success of Jurassic World speaks volumes about his abilities both as a storyteller and skilled filmmaker. We are thrilled to have such an incredible talent as Colin join our family and step into the Star Wars universe.”
In taking on the huge franchise, Trevorrow states: “This is not a job or an assignment. It is a seat at a campfire, surrounded by an extraordinary group of storytellers, filmmakers, artists and craftspeople.
“We’ve been charged with telling new stories for a younger generation because they deserve what we all had — a mythology to call their own. We will do this by channelling something George Lucas instilled in all of us: boundless creativity, pure invention and hope.”
NEW STAR WARS THEMED FUN PARK ATTRACTIONS
In a big weekend of news for the Star Wars franchise, it was also announced that a Star Wars-themed land would be constructed at Disneyland park in Anaheim, California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The world of Star Wars will be brought to life across 14 acres at both locations. Visitors will be able to take the controls of the Millennium Falcon, and will be placed in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance.
“We’re bringing Star Wars to life in a big way, and I mean really big. We’re creating a jaw-dropping new world, that represents our largest single-themed land expansion ever,” Iger says. “We knew it needed to be big, we knew it needed to be great, so we’re going to transport guests to a whole new planet.”
IMAGE FOR STORIES SERIES RELEASED
Meanwhile Lucasfilm has also announced that its first film in a stand-alone Star Wars stories series, Rogue One, has begun principal photography.
The film is expected to be released on December 16, 2016 and tells the story of resistance fighters who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star.
The cast includes Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn as well as Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie yen, Jian Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk and Riz Ahmed.
“Rogue One takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe,” says Kathleen Kennedy.
“It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know. Gareth is such an innovative director and I’m so excited to be working with him and the extraordinary ensemble cast he’s selected for Rogue One.”
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