David Fincher Reveals Why He Passed On Directing A ‘Star Wars’ Film

After having directed some of the most renown and critically acclaimed films of the past few decades, David Fincher is a name that is commonly thrown around as a possible director of not only comic book films but most recently a name rumored to have been in talks to helm a new Star Wars film.

Although there is likely no chance of Fincher stepping into the director’s chair for a Marvel film, Fincher revealed to Empire that he did at one point spoke to Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy of the possibility of forerunning a film in the saga but ultimately decided to pass on undergoing directing such a massive project:

“I talked to [producer Kathleen Kennedy] about that and look, it’s a plum assignment. I don’t know what’s worse: being George Lucas on the set of the first one where everyone’s going, ‘Alderaan? What the hell is this?’ Where everyone’s making fun, but I can’t imagine the kind of intestinal fortitude one has to have following up the success of these last two. That’s a whole other level. One is that you have to endure the withering abuse of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, and the other is you have to live up to a billion or a billion-five, and that becomes its own kind of pressure.”

Outside of 1992’s Alien 3 and the upcoming World War Z 2, Fincher isn’t one to direct a follow-up to a major motion picture franchise. The director discussed how there are some certain circumstances where the task of directing something as expansive as a Star Wars film can definitely work out:

“I think [The Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner] had the best job. He had a pretty great script and he had the middle story. He didn’t have to worry about where it started and he didn’t have to worry about where it ended. And he had the great reveal.”

All in all, a directing gig such as Star Wars just seemed like something that was too much of a theatrical and franchise juggernaut for Fincher to be at the forefront of:

“You’d have to really clear your head, I think. You’d have to really be sure this is what you wanted to do because either way it’s two years of your life, 14 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Although Fincher is a maverick when it comes to directing with being responsible for films such as Seven, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club and so much more, do you think he made the right call on passing on Star Wars? Sound off in the comments below and let us know!

Here’s the official synopsis for Star Wars: The Last Jedi:

In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Star Wars: The Last Jedi stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Laura Dern, Kelly Marie Tran and Benicio del Toro.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released in theaters on December 15, 2017.

Source: Empire