Working on a Star Wars movie can be something of a big deal. Your work will be seen by millions who might otherwise ignore it, your name is bandied about everywhere, and it can open the door to new opportunities. Or at least directing terrible John Travolta movies, in the case of cinematographer Roger Christian. Still, some pass on the opportunity… notably Brad Bird.
To be fair, it wasn’t that Bird wasn’t interested. It was that he had a movie to finish, according to IndieWire:
“There was no way to make that schedule and give [Tomorrowland] the attention it deserved. I know it’s going to be terrific and everything, but I’m really happy to do this film. It’s rare to do a film of this size that’s original.”
In other words, either he could half-ass Tomorrowland and make a Star Wars movie, or full-ass Tomorrowland. We have to admit, the trailer caught our attention, but the fact that Bird was willing to pass up a slam-dunk career opportunity in order to make sure it worked both boosts our respect for him a bit and kind of makes us want to compare the two even more. Tomorrowland is out in May and Episode VII in December 2015, so we’ll get our chance then.
