14 DAY TRIAL // Major news on the Star Wars front, as today the writer and director for the next movie in the franchise has been named. Fans are surprised to learn that it's not J.J. Abrams, the man who is currently filming “Episode VII” in England, but Rian Johnson, a director known for his previous work on “Looper” and “Brick.”
The announcement is not official, but The Wrap reports that Johnson will inherit the franchise from Abrams, basing its claims on the confidential reports of two individuals “with knowledge of the director's plans.”
The same source indicates that Johnson will also write the script for Episode 9, but he won't the be one directing it, pointing towards a third man, probably someone completely new, which must be Disney's way of keeping things fresh.
Johnson's first movie “Brick,” about a highs-school drama, was praised by critics but failed to impress at the box office. Not until his second teaming up with Joseph Gordon-Levitt for “Looper,” a science-fiction action movie, did he show that he has what it takes to lead a big budget project, after the movie grossed well at the box office.
Apart from the work on movie sets, Johnson also did some TV projects, directing a couple of episodes for “Breaking Bad.” He is responsible for Ozimandias, widely considered to be one of the best in the series.
With this move, both Lucasfilm and Disney prove they're willing to take a chance and hire new talent from the industry, giving young filmmakers a big vote of confidence and putting some of their biggest projects in their hands.
The plan is to start releasing a new Star Wars movie every year starting with 2015 when Episode VII is scheduled to come out, after which the studio plans to alternate between spin-off and episodes from the main story to keep fans interested.
The news that Johnson has been chosen as writer and director is also confirmed by his Twitter profile, where he posted a clip from 1983's “The Right Stuff,” in which actor Scott Glenn appears in character and prays “Dear Lord, please don't let me [expletive] up.”
As Johnson struggles with his new mission, Abrams is also having trouble on the set of Episode VII at the moment, after one of his main stars, Harrison Ford, returning to the set after decades in the role of Han Solo, has broken a foot in an accident while filming and was put out of action for at least 8 weeks, according to the latest reports.