10 directors who could replace Colin Trevorrow for Star Wars: Episode IX

So, let me start off by saying a lot of these choices are going to just be straight-up wishful thinking, and not necessarily who Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm will ultimately choose as Trevorrow's successor. However, Johnson seems like he'd be one of the most practical and ideal choices on this list. Not only was the original plan to have Johnson write a treatment for EPISODE IX that Trevorrow and his writer's were to work off of, but out of all the directors to work on these new STAR WARS films, Johnson seems to be the only one left completely unscathed. Even J.J. Abrams had issues of throwing the script out at the last minute, having to account for Harrison Ford's injury, etc. So not only does Johnson have a story mapped out for the trilogy that the studio was happy with (in fact, it wasn't long after Trevorrow mentioned that he'd develop his own story with his MONSTER TRUCK's writing partner that news of his dismissal came to light), but he's also so far been the most dependable. And it's not like having one director direct more than one film is unheard of in STAR WARS history, as George Lucas directed all three of the prequels. This honestly seems like a no-brainer.

While certainly unlikely, having Spielberg direct EPISODE IX would be a welcome surprise, as he was actually slated to direct RETURN OF THE JEDI back in the early '80s, but had to back down when George Lucas left the DGA and couldn't hire union directors. So to have him finally direct a STAR WARS trilogy capper after all these years would be a cool story unto itself. And, honestly, he's just a great director, with the ability to direct action, create suspense, and also is a master at characters and pathos. The main thing against him joining up would be his loyalty to friend George Lucas (which extended to him directing an INDIANA JONES sequel under protest), and also interest. But a man can dream…

This choice seems more in the realm of possibility, as she already has a good working relationship with Disney directing the upcoming big-budget A WRINKLE IN TIME film. Not only that, but DuVernay is just a great filmmaker, as SELMA showed her knack for managing scale, scope, and stakes, while also showcasing the acts  of heroic – albeit flawed and human – protagonists. And all those elements are important for the ending of any epic trilogy. We need someone in mastery of both the macro (i.e. the scope and stakes), but more importantly the micro (i.e. character and pathos) for the film to be satisfactory. Not only that, but her recent job as director of the aforementioned A WRINKLE IN TIME means she has extensive knowledge of special effects as well.

Honestly, he's on this list because I loved MOONLIGHT. But I think, if you're going to go for indie directors to make your big-budget franchises (which seems to be a trend recently), you could do a lot worse than Jenkins. He has a great grasp on characters, but also of visuals. I imagine given the right budget and pre-vis people, he could come up with some cool, unique, and inventive action sequences. If nothing else, he'd get great performances out of the cast.

I mean, have you seen WONDER WOMAN? It's idealistic, fun, adventurous, but is willing to get dark and real when necessary. She's also really great at filming action sequences as well! Not only that, but WONDER WOMAN featured a truly strong female character, which if this trilogy's story is focused on Rey, you need someone that's able to facilitate that growth and arc with respect and understanding. Jenkins' availability might be non-existent due to WONDER WOMAN 2's shooting schedule, but she really would be perfect for a STAR WARS film.

I don't have much to say, because Fincher most likely wouldn't touch this franchise with a thousand-foot pole. I mean, he is certainly qualified, with the ability to direct action, actors, as well as a vast knowledge of VFX; hell, he's even done the third installment of a famous sci-fi property (though in this case that might be more of a negative than a positive). No, I just put his name on here because I'd pay all the money in the world to see a fucked-up, nihilistic ending to the entire STAR WARS franchise. It won't be what most people want – and probably not what STAR WARS needs – but you better believe I would be there opening day just to see the reactions.

RUNNER UP: TOMMY WISEAU

Because why not? Like you wouldn't watch it.

Meanwhile, you can see EPISODE VIII: THE LAST JEDI coming out November 17th, while the currently untitled EPISODE IX  is expected to still be released May 24th, 2019.