At this point, we need to seriously consider anointing Guillermo del Toro some sort of project-hopping superhero. Not only did our boy walk away from The Hobbit when the project no longer suited his whims, he’s now going on record as having turned down the opportunity to take the reins on the future of Star Wars. Via a The Playlist interview:
“We got one phone call to my agent saying, ‘Is Guillermo interested?’ And basically I have so much stuff already of my own, and I’m pursuing stuff that I’m generating already…” he said, explaining that he ultimately turned it down.
He also mentions he’d like to see Brad Bird in the director’s chair, a sentiment that’s shared by many, I suspect. Myself included.
Bravo, I say. A director who turns down a franchise project to work on his own creative material is next to unheard of in today’s Hollywood. Not to mention Star Wars is the franchise, and Episode VII is the most coveted director’s chair since Harry Potter. So it says something about an artist who basically says “Meh, pass.”
Del Toro isn’t being disrespectful, he sincerely has a lot on his directing plate right now. Wrapping up Pacific Rim, he’s got a slate of four films he’s on the hook for at Universal not to mention countless producing gigs. Still, it’s refreshing to note that not every working director feels need to enter the Star Wars Sweepstakes.
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Did you create the accompanying image? Brilliant!
I don’t think Del Toro left The Hobbit because it no longer suited his whim. I definitely remember the man saying he had to vacate the director’s chair because MGM couldn’t get its financial bullshit sorted out and at the time, he HAD obligations to Universal. Is he definitely Still on the hook for those though? I thought Universal aborting ATMOM at the last minute sorta killed that deal they had going, hence his ability to jump on Pacific Rim at WB. If he still has a development deal with Universal, then that’s great, since its likely the one place that would let him make his adaptation of Frankenstein that he’s mused about over the years.
Here’s another Star Wars fun fact; David Lynch turned down Return Of The Jedi when Lucas offered it to him, because he had heard first hand from Irvin Kershner how bad an experience making Empire was with Lucas. He ended up doing Dune for De Laurentis, so it’s not like Lynch got away clean from the era of filmmaking, BUT just imagine how fucking strange Jedi would’ve been under Lynch’s direction.
I did, thank you!
Anyone who believes GDT walked from The Hobbit because of his other obligations has been smoking the gullibility weed. Read between the lines – he had a massive falling out with Peter Jackson. He probably had to sign some agreement not to talk about it, but basically he didn’t want to be Jackson’s bitch. And presumably he didn’t want to become Lucasfilm’s bitch either.
There’s a fine line between brave and foolhardy.
Wait, someone was actually ASKED to direct this film and turned them down? I thought only people who had not been asked were turning this down. I turned it down twice.
Part of the insurance contract was that he’d be required to sign up to the Peter Jackson diet™.
He refused.
That’s not the story David Lynch tells,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJQ4vCu-S0U
Bravo, Guillermo. Brad Bird would be way better for Star Wars — or what about Joe Johnston? Who better to helm the next series of films than the dude who designed at least half of it to begin with?
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Hellboy 3 would be nice 🙂
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