Film Feature: Five Things We Want From ‘Star Wars, Episode VII’

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2. Hire Rian Johnson as the Director of “Episode VII”

“Search your feelings, Lord Vader. You know it to be true.” Rian Johnson, the writer/director of “Brick”, “The Brothers Bloom”, and, most recently, “Looper”, would be a PERFECT candidate to direct “Star Wars: Episode VII”. Like Kershner and Marquand, he’s got a solid (but not huge) list of critically acclaimed features under his belt, along with some high-profile, very well-executed TV work (his episodes of “Breaking Bad” and “Terriers” were great). All three of his movies were suspenseful – though the tone varies in each – but their high-concept storylines were always extremely character-driven, just like the original “Star Wars” movies. And he obviously works well with actors – he’s got a special rapport with Joseph Gordon-Levitt while Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt both RAVED about “Looper”. Plus, even though there are very stylized elements in each of his movies, it would be hard (per se) to lock down the Rian Johnson-style yet. Which is a good thing. It means he could bring his as-yet-undefined, unlimited creativity into the “Star Wars” universe and really make a mark, without having to worry about trying to force the “Star Wars” world into his already-set personal aesthetic . (One of many reasons why Wes Anderson would never direct a “Star Wars” movie, not that he’d want to.)

Rian Johnson
Photo credit: Sony

Additionally, he’s got the perfect level of geek cred for the job. He’s not a full-on geek icon yet – there are no “Rian Johnson Is Now My Master” t-shirts yet, as far as I know – but he knows how to talk the talk and walk the walk. (He hired “Primer” director Shane Carruth to consult on his time travel movie, for Pete’s sake.) He could sink into that lofty director’s chair, knowing that the film community respects him, the fanboy community approves of him, and the general public is just indifferent enough to his presence that he can disappear into the film and make something really, really special without having to worry about living up to his last blockbuster. Also, while directors like Brad Bird, Andrew Stanton, or Zack Snyder are already known and quantified Hollywood properties, Johnson is still a bit of a variable. While a roaring triumph with “Episode VII” wouldn’t do much to change Kathryn Bigelow or Steven Soderbergh’s level of cache in the film industry, Johnson could probably parlay that success into funding several of his next, more-homegrown directorial efforts. And that’s a definite win-win scenario. It means we get an awesome new “Star Wars” movie AND we fund the career of a promising young filmmaker. You can’t say the same thing if Ben Affleck or David Yates gets the job.

I don’t know if Johnson wants to direct the next “Star Wars” movie, but, personally, I can’t think of a better choice. However, I should note that, even though Johnson has written every movie that he’s directed so far, I don’t think he should WRITE “Episode VII”. (The auteur thing doesn’t work in the “Star Wars” world unless you’re Lucas.) So, who SHOULD write “Star Wars: Episode VII”?