David Fincher May Be Pushing For The Star Wars: Episode VII Directing Job

By Rudie Obias | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

The hunt for a director for Star Wars: Episode VII has been heated ever since Disney and Lucasfilm announced that the new film would be released in 2015. We’ve heard a number of top-tier directors say they flat-out don’t want to direct the new Star Wars movie. We’ve also heard a number of rumors and speculation on who exactly will inherit the Star Wars throne, which range from the thoughtful to the absurd. Now a new director has been thrown into the mix, and it’s not clear which category we should put him in.

According to the Playlist, director David Fincher “might be game” to direct Star Wars: Episode VII. But as ridiculous as this may sound, there may be a nugget of truth behind it. Fincher once worked for ILM as a teenager in the early ’80s. He even has an assistant cameraman credit on Return of the Jedi. He also has a pending deal to direct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for Disney, which has been on hold for the past three months as they assess the situation. From Deadline:

As much as I’ve heard the Vaughn rumor, I’ve also heard Jon Favreau is panting after this job, and even that David Fincher, who apparently worked for Lucas’s ILM in a menial job as a teen, might be game for one of these new films. Unfortunately, we are getting nothing out of Lucas Land on what they call speculation.

How far fetched does this rumor sound now? Fincher also has a close connection to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who produced his film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, in 2008. Fincher would be a great choice. He’s definitely a more-than-solid filmmaker who likes to push the limits of technology in movies, so imagine what he could do if he were in charge of a Star Wars movie.

At the moment, the most solid lead on who will direct Star Wars: Episode VII is still Matthew Vaughn (or Jon Favreau). He is the most likely choice, but it’s fun to see David Fincher’s hat in the ring as well.