Brad Bird has become the latest director to throw his hat out of the “Star Wars” ring.
The “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” helmer tweeted over the weekend that he would not be helming “Episode VII” for George Lucas, responding to a follower’s direct inquiry with: “Not doing Star Wars.” Sounds definitive enough.
Instead, Bird confirmed – thanks to another (decidedly combative) follower – that he will next be helming “1952,” Damon Lindelof’s super-secret sci-fi film project that was first revealed in the summer of 2011 and which, if they’re lucky, may have nabbed George Clooney as leading man.
“@gregaveryowens: Totally just saw @BradBirdA113 slam Star Wars. Brilliant!”, came the presumptuous tweet a short time later, to which Bird replied: “I’m not slamming Star Wars. I’m just doing ‘1952’! Sheesh!”
And also: “That said, Michael Arndt is a fantastic writer and Kathy Kennedy is a brilliant producer. I will be first in line to see the new STAR WARS.”
Arndt, of course, is the Oscar-winning screenwriter (his credits include “Little Miss Sunshine” and Toy Story 3″) who has been hired to write the script for the upcoming sequel, and Kennedy is the newly-installed president of Lucasfilm who will be overseeing the project.
A project that, in case you hadn’t heard, Brad Bird will not be directing. Period end of sentence.
“Star Wars: Episode VII” is slated for release sometime in 2015.
Who would you like to see direct the new “Star Wars”? Let us know in the comments.
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