Whether or not it is something that would ever truly be on the table is one thing, but Zack Snyder, at the very least, would love to direct a Star Wars movie. At least in theory. Though the Justice League director has some doubts in terms of whether or not he could survive the process in practice.
Zack Snyder has been making the interview rounds for the last couple of months. First for the release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League on HBO Max and now for Army of the Dead, his new zombie movie making its way to theaters and Netflix later this month. During a recent interview, Snyder was discussing the notion of injecting his personal view into IP-driven movies. That’s when he revealed that he’d love to tackle an entry in a galaxy far, far away. Here’s what he had to say about it.
“Where it gets difficult is when you take a director with a personal point of view and ask him to participate in a thing that is not asking for that. The journeyman film-maker? There are a lot of them, and they’re good. I just happen to have a specific point of view. The lesson I’ve learnt is it’s much easier for me, as a film-maker, to create a world and invite you into it. As opposed to me saying, ‘Let me put my cog in your wheel.’ Like, I would love to make a Star Wars movie, I know a lot about it, but I don’t think I would survive that.”
For a second, let’s look at this as if it were a real possibility. Zack Snyder, at the very least, knows his way around a big-budget spectacle. 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and, yes, Justice League. The man knows how to handle a blockbuster, logistically speaking. Where things get complicated is the reception. Snyder’s movies, especially his DC adaptations, have been especially divisive. That is where things get tricky for both sides.
As the filmmaker mentions, he has a point of view and wants to tackle projects, even if they are part of a huge franchise, from his POV. Meanwhile, Lucasfilm is coming off of two particularly divisive entries in the Star Wars franchise. Namely, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. At the same time, they’ve earned a lot of good will on the TV side with The Mandalorian. Surely they want to build on that momentum as they gear up to make more movies. At least for now, a guy like Snyder doesn’t seem to fit the bill. And he doesn’t seem confident that it would be a good fit at this point in his career.
Plus, it’s worth noting that Lucasfilm, during the Disney era, has had issues with directors, be it Colin Trevorrow on Episode IX or Phil Lord and Chris Miller on Solo: A Star Wars Story. Next up on the movie side of Star Wars is Rogue Squadron, which is set to be directed by Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman). Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) is also set to direct and co-write an untitled project within the franchise. This news comes to us via The Times.