Filmmakers Who Turned Down Directing STAR WARS

For many filmmakers, a call from Lucasfilm would probably be a dream come true. However, there were also those who turned down the opportunity to direct individual episodes of the iconic series Star Wars. Perhaps rightly so. After all, many of these titles went through a production nightmare or faced toxic ostracism from fans.

It’s worth noting that most of the refusals we know about concern three of the riskiest projects: the conclusion of the original trilogy after the excellent The Empire Strikes Back, and the launch of two new trilogies with The Phantom Menace and The Force Awakens.

David Fincher

When it came to the production of The Force Awakens, Lucasfilm approached David Fincher. However, he quickly distanced himself from the project, explaining that he suspected he wouldn’t find common ground with Disney. He had a vision for the film that was closer to his favorite, The Empire Strikes Back, but he felt the studio would prefer something in line with the later films.

Interestingly, a young Fincher had worked as an assistant on the set of Return of the Jedi.

Guillermo del Toro

Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro also declined the offer. He stated that he was honored but had too many projects on his plate. That may very well have been true—del Toro is known for announcing numerous projects, many of which never come to fruition.

Matthew Vaughn

The British director, already linked to several major pop culture franchises, was unsurprisingly also considered for The Force Awakens. However, the Kick-Ass filmmaker ultimately did not sign on due to “creative differences” between him and the media giant.

Brad Bird

Before turning to Vaughn, the studio looked in-house and knocked on the door of The Incredibles director, Brad Bird. However, he preferred to focus on his original project, Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney, stating that he couldn’t handle two major films at once. Considering how much of a box-office flop Tomorrowland turned out to be, one wonders if he regrets that decision today.

Neill Blomkamp

Another young director briefly linked to The Force Awakens was District 9’s Neill Blomkamp. He quickly turned down the offer, arguing that he wasn’t interested in adapting pre-existing material. Again, considering where his career stands today, one might suspect he regrets that choice.

Robert Zemeckis

Years earlier, George Lucas himself faced similar difficulties. Many may not know that the legendary filmmaker never actually wanted to direct the prequel trilogy himself. However, repeated refusals from trusted collaborators left him with no choice. One such rejection came from Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis.

Ron Howard

Another filmmaker who turned down Lucas was Ron Howard, with whom Lucas had previously collaborated on Willow. Howard knew he was just the latest in a line of directors approached by Lucas and ultimately encouraged him to direct the prequels himself: “You should just do it yourself!” Was it good advice? I’ll leave that up to you.

However, it’s worth noting that Howard did eventually accept a Lucasfilm offer—years later, when he stepped in to complete Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Steven Spielberg

Perhaps most interestingly, Lucas initially wanted to entrust The Phantom Menace to his closest industry ally, Steven Spielberg. However, this wasn’t the first time the Schindler’s List director had turned down his friend. Years earlier, he had also declined the opportunity to direct Return of the Jedi. At the time, he explained that he wouldn’t feel comfortable taking Lucas’s “baby” away from him: “He had Star Wars, I had Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park.

David Cronenberg

George Lucas also reached out to body-horror maestro David Cronenberg regarding Return of the Jedi. However, Cronenberg firmly rejected the offer, stating that he does not adapt other people’s ideas. Just imagine what the Fly director might have done with the Ewoks!

David Lynch

One of the most fascinating stories comes from the late David Lynch. The future Twin Peaks creator met with George Lucas to discuss directing Return of the Jedi—but, as he later admitted, only out of respect for a filmmaker who was doing what he loved and making “thousands of billions of dollars” doing it.

According to Lynch, while Lucas was showing him concept art for the Wookiees, he developed such a massive headache that he called his agent that same day to say there was no way he would take the job.