The very idea of David Fincher helming a Star Wars motion picture seems like the stuff of Wizard devotee fever dreams, but according to the Zodiac filmmaker, he was in contention to direct the franchise’s bring Episode XII return.
Fincher confirmed he was in the running to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens during a recent interview with Empire. That’s not to say Fincher was necessarily atwitter about the prospect of directing a Star Wars film. In fact, he had his reasons for not wanting to take on the project.
“I talked to [producer Kathleen Kennedy] about that and look, it’s a plum assignment,” said Fincher. “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.”
Fincher stressed the amount of energy and devotion required of you after saying yes to that kind of assignment.
“You’d have to really clear your head, I think,” he explained to Empire. “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.”
Considering the amount of reshuffling and behind-the-scenes issues associated with the franchise of late, Fincher’s concerns seem justified.