With Colin Trevorrow no longer directing Star Wars: Episode IX, everyone has begun speculating like crazy about who could take over. J.J. Abrams? Ava DuVernay? Rian Johnson? Well, one pretty prominent director called it 40 years ago: George Lucas.
Image: Drew Struzan
In 1977, a few months after the first Star Wars was released and became a massive hit, Lucas spoke to Rolling Stone magazine and said the following:
I think the sequels will be much, much better. What I want to do is direct the last sequel. I could do the first one and the last one and let everyone else do the ones in between.
Now, in 1977, he was likely referring to what would become 1983’s Return of the Jedi, a film he could have directed, but didn’t. He did, however, make three more Star Wars movies after that — though he’s since said he’s all but retired from directing these kinds of movies, and hasn’t really been a fan of what’s happened. So we’re mostly just pointing out a fun little coincidence.
But we know he still cares. He talks to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy about the franchise. So maybe he’d make an exception to put the final period on the Skywalker saga. I doubt it but, hey, wouldn’t it be fun?
On the other hand, there’s no way Star Wars Episode IX is going to be “the last sequel”. Just the last sequel for now. So it’s probably best to just let things move along as they are.
[Rolling Stone, via @FutureBoy]