There was a disturbance in the Force known as the Star Warsanthology film series as Lucasfilm announced that director Josh Trank will no longer helm the secondStar Warsstandalonemovie. No replacement director has been announced but Lucasfilm and Disney promise they will continue to develop the project, which was set for release in 2018.
After a year of having the incredible honor of developing with the wonderful and talented people at Lucasfilm, Im making a personal decision to move forward on a different path, Trank said in a statement posted on the Star Wars official site. Ive put a tremendous amount of thought into this, and I know deep down in my heart that I want to pursue some original creative opportunities. That said, the Star Wars universe has always been one of my biggest influences, and I couldnt be more excited to witness its future alongside my millions of fellow Star Wars fans.
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In addition to the three J.J. Abrams-led Star Wars sequels kicking off this December with The Force Awakens Disney and Lucasfilm previously revealed they would release a series of anthology films; movies based on the space sagas expansive mythology that were tethered to but still unconnected from the storyline of Episodes One through Nine. The first of those films, Gareth Edwards Rouge One, will arrive in 2016. Tranks anthology film, rumored to be about Han Solo and Princess Leia, was due in 2018.
The first sign that Trank and Star Wars might have parted ways was when the director didnt join Edwards for a panel dedicated to the anthology films at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in April. (Trank tweetedhe had the Worst flu of my life.) However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it was Tranks erratic work on the upcoming superhero film Fantastic Four that motivated Lucasfilm to seek out a new director.
Trank, whose first feature-length film was the found-footage flick Chronicle, previously revealed to Rolling Stone that his initial taste of success was the Star Wars-inspired YouTube short Stabbing at Leias. We spent literally $80 on it, borrowing some fake light sabers and some cheap stormtrooper costumes. I did all the rotoscoping myself, drawing every frame of the light saber effects by hand, Trank said of his 2007 short that he shot with friends. Seven years later, Trank was recruited to helm an actual Star Wars film before deciding to pursue other creative opportunities.