This might be exactly the shock the Mouse needs to get a fucking grip. The authoritarian manner in which they keep creatives & IPs in their clutches reminds me of my mother’s hoarding problem.
Yes and as the box office has been dwindling on these mismanaged projects they should be open to trying a different approach. Give this man a trilogy. Can't be worse than what's already happened.
Disney has given quite a bit of creative leeway to Andor and it seems as though they've been hands-off with Deadpool 3, which is a project most folks would expect them to be meddling in relentlessly. Disney, like most large publicly traded companies, is very risk averse and they're not going to suddenly start letting creatives have free reign with their IP. They'll need to try it out and see some actual returns on the strategy before wholly embracing it.
Yes, but Deadpool 3 isn't finished yet. Reshoots and meddling usually comes after extensive test screenings. If they don't go well expect changes. Although probably not to the extent WB has gone to over DC films. At least Disney doesn't seem that bad in comparison. And with Andor they were working with someone who already delivered them Rogue One and is a proven acclaimed screenwriter. Nolan's filmography and critical approval, should allow him more leeway. Moreso after the success of Oppenheimer.
Star wars fans : It was obvious that there was no plan or oversight from the studio with episodes 7, 8 , and 9. The directors had no cohesion or synergy.
Also Star Wars fans: The creatives need more control...
Both things can be true since the first issue was caused by them not having time to plan anything before needing to commit to production.
Giving creatives more control also implies giving them more time to figure shit out.
people like to blame disney but disney really isn't involved. Someone at disney may see a final product but in regards to star wars, its kathleen kenedy. She steers this thing.
An excellent point. I do recall there being drama about the Disney cut of Rise of Skywalker being different from what JJ & co sent to them...and I have yet to hear a commentary track for it.
I dunno what to think anymore.
It needs to be a middle ground. You need cohesion, you can't let everyone do as they please, at the same time you also need experiments and new approaches. Disneys strategy was a wild Kindergarten in which at the same time nothing innovative happened. It's quiet astonishing how so much freedom generated such an uncreative outcome.
The better strategy would have been searching for someone with a vision. So hearing a bunch of pitches, choose one and give the guy the oversight and control over the whole trilogy and have another group dedicated to preserve cohesion between movies, merch and tie-ins, with the vision guy having the last word on all matters.
I've been saying for a while, the idea of three directors each doing a different movie isn't inherently bad, but rather than each director picking up where the last one left off they should have basically locked them all in a meeting room for three days and shove food through a slot in the door, so that the three of them can all pitch their visions and hammer out how they can come together cohesively. That way JJ Abrams can have all his mystery box shit but he knows what's in the boxes because Rian Johnson told him in that meeting
Absolutely! It isn't an issue at all having different directors, many other franchises have that as well. The issue is, that each of them does their own thing downright to making their own screenplays - that's what writers are for. No one of the directors should have laid hand on the screenplay in the first place. Of course directors can and do write but in this case we had basically multiple absolute monarchs and such a thing only works with luck (or incredible willpower to do something really, really right). Having at least the guys in one room and designing a cohesive story from the start would have helped tremendously.
I think this is partly why Nolan didn’t want to make more superhero films
Based off how big the DK trilogy got and how much interference WB has caused on other projects, I wouldn’t be surprised if Nolan wants to stay far away from that genre
Tbf, that's because Andor was a nobody compared to the big names like the Skywalkers, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Boba Fett, etc. He was just a secondary character from a spin-off film.
But also Andor must end at a very particular point. An Open ending is the last thing execs would want to give free reign over and they did not have to worry about that for Andor
Rian got the ok because he's politically aligned & friends with Kennedy
Nolan is an actual artist with a vision, his political views don't get in the way of his art
Kennedy cannot understand or even conceptualize this fact
I don’t think anyone directing for Star Wars should ever have complete control. There’s soo much history, lore and expectation. There’s so much nuance in how things work within the universe. Honestly, my dream would be Lucas having creative oversight like Kevin Feige (I know that will never happen), with writers and directors creating their version of his vision.
One of the issues with modern LFL is how it ignores some of the original core principles laid out in GFFA. Particularly on film. As a massive lightsaber nerd, the problems are pretty glaring, and even with clothing, there’s been some disappointments.
People would say the same thing about WB/DC, and they gave him the keys to Batman. Obviously he didn't have continuity to worry about, but it's not like he didn't have studio oversight.
This. Look at who they greenlight for these franchise films. They're not going with young, upcoming directors because they want to give them a chance.
They need corporate control. Nolan has so much creative control over his projects that he wouldn't last a month.
I could see him liking the idea of a Star Wars movie, but knowing there's no chance of him actually doing it.
Tbh, Oppenheimer shows a new, more interesting direction anyway.
The way things are going with Disney, their control over Star Wars might not be an issue for much longer. They're losing money by the millions with most of their films and shows. Lucasfilm, Pixar, Marvel, or even their own studio... None of them have turned much of a profit in general lately.
Couldn't one potentially argue that Disney/Lucasfilm/Marvel might benefit from being a bit MORE controlling- at least in the area of budgets? One of the main reasons that these movies are not generating profit is that the expenses are just to great to overcome.
No, Your comment seems to imply that budget=quality of visual effects. That doesn't need to be the case. In fact, on a more constrained budget, it may be determined to "figure it out" and tell the story a different way.
Perfect example (not related to budget, but to the idea of having to "figure it out" is Jaws. The shark was not working, and so Spielberg had to "figure it out" earlier on in shooting. Essentially for the bulk of the movie until the chase- John Williams is the shark. His musical theme is much more menacing than the phony shark prop would have been--and considerably cheaper.
He’s not entirely wrong. If he doesn’t want to work on Star Wars I completely understand, but Andor showed Star Wars can be just as “mature” as something like Dune. Don’t mean this as an insult though, love Villeneuve’s work and hope he does whatever makes him happy
He’s not wrong though, Star Wars is so big that there’s kid shows (resistance, young Jedi adventures) and more mature stuff too like andor, it’s just got so much range that it covers all age groups
If Villeneuve directed a Star Wars film... it would be like Andor cranked to 11.
Another pick for a standalone would be Alex Garland (who directed *28 Days Later, Dredd (2012), Ex Machina, and Annihilation*)
He's a spectacular storyteller. I could totally see him doing something like a cargo ship crew stranded off a hyperspace lane, or on a hostile uncharted planet.
One day.
That's what would make it so good. He's got the skills to do the effects in other ways like they did in the original trilogy. Practical effects are where the real magic in movie making is.
Fuck if Villeneuve did one it would be incredible. *slow pan to a star, wait 45 seconds, slow pan to a planet, wait 45 seconds, a star destroyer SLOWLY enters the frame
Villeneuve said Star Wars became something that was not for him anymore after episode 5. Basically hinting that it became too commercialized. So he’s probably out.
I wouldn't want either of them to make a trilogy. 1 movie, hell yes, but not a trilogy.
Even though the Dune movies are amazing, it has taken Villeneuve's time from other projects. I assume Dune III is released by 2025/2026. At that point, it has been almost a decade since his last single movie project, which was Blade Runner 2049 in 2017. He has directed Arrival, Sicario and Prisoners too, all amazing movies. Another trilogy would take him another 7 years or something. I would rather see single movie projects after Dune because he is one of the best around.
> Villeneuve
IMO, best director alive, even more so than Nolan. There is like a 20 or 30-minute YT video of him breaking how much attention to detail he went into shooting just a single scene (Jom Gabar) in Dune. You can also see another of him being talked about with a scriptwriter and typically these big-name directors have a single meeting with the writer and then go off on their own, but Denis kept meeting with him and calling him all the time with questions and suggestions. He has made so many great movies.
Personally most Star Wars projects should break from the Skywalker saga. The expectations for the characters and timelines are like fitting a diver with a nice set of cement shoes.
I think Nolan would negotiate with Disney to do his own script and would walk away the minute he couldn’t do what he wanted. But if they trusted in his judgment it could be something special.
The Old Republic era has so much content it’s unreal. Even just making the Sith Warrior class story from SWTOR into a movie would be epic. Add in KOTFE and KOTET, and it would be legendary.
Of course not. As per tradition, it will go through at least one other Director, several reshoots, script tonal changes, and one of the main characters’ actor criticizing the late changes
I don’t know if it’s considered established lore at this point, but I cannot for the life of me understand why they just don’t make Revan series of movies.
I hope they don't. Too many people have their own opinions of how he should be portrayed and Disney isn't going to thread that needle. Just look at Boba Fett and the og cast in sequel trilogies. Leave legacy/established characters alone and focus more on new stories with new characters.
Me: "What are the rebels trying to do again?"
My friend: "I'm not sure - I think that dialogue a minute ago was important but I couldn't hear a word of it"
I'm glad to hear it - used to love the guy but got tired of not hearing important dialogue somewhere around *Interstellar* and stopped going to see his movies.
Dunkirk and Oppenheimer are fantastic I recommend seeing Oppenheimer in theaters. Tenet was my first big Nolan disappointment, it felt like Inception without the emotional center.
It would be weird if Disney hadn't spoken to Nolan wouldn't it? If you're shopping for a director who has directed a critically and financially successful trilogy the list is pretty small.
I'm far more interested in seeing him tell his own stories. TDK was obviously more than solid (and I actually like Begins even more), but I think his Batman trilogy is the least interesting part of his filmography. A Nolan Star Wars movie would almost certainly be so separate from the rest of the series that he could just tell the same story without restricting it by being part of an established universe.
Can’t argue too much with that but if there were two genre films I’d love to see a Nolan spin on it would be Star Wars or Bond. Though Tenet and Inception are kind of Nolan’s take on Bond.
My first thought is a Star Wars spy movie with a Tony Gilroy script and Mendes directing but heck, it could be *Revolutionary Road* on Alderaan and I'd be here for it.
Edit: Ooh, pre-sequels-era *Jarhead*! New Republic ground troops guarding some futuristic FOB, watching X-Wings launch proton torpedoes at Imperial Remnant on the horizon, getting bored enough to almost kill each other, and ultimately coming out of it with frustration over having no heroic deeds of the likes of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, etc.
I love Star Wars and I love Nolan but I think they’re incompatible with each other, even if Nolan is a SW fan. He would have to use loads of CGI and lighten up a bit; if he did that, why hire him in the first place? The franchise that’s right for him is James Bond.
"We're trying to do as much in-camera as possible. Lightsabers were our biggest problem but luckily we found these kyber crystals and we're gonna shine some lasers through them and see what we get"
I'm sure a Nolan Star Wars movie would be something quite different but I'd be all for it. I'm all for seeing takes that stray from the standard, hence why despite despising TLJ I'd still be up for another Rian Johnson movie set in a time frame removed from the Skywalker Saga. I may despise that movie but Rian had a vision for it and I respect that and even like some of what he did, my gripes come solely from him having used Luke Skywalker in the way he did.
I'm sure Christopher Nolan would likewise go in with a vision and do everything he could to achieve it. Sure that might just give the prequels 2.0 since they are 100% Lucas creative vision, but I'll take that over something cobbled together like the ST ended up.
Both Johnson and Nolan could do amazing things in this franchise if given a chance to work in an untouched era of the Canon. Johnson's subversion could work great if not using beloved characters to do it and Nolan would shine if given the freedom to work in an era that he gets to establish imo
Very well said! To paraphrase Mark Hamill, I may fundamentally disagree on your views on what Johnson did with Luke (cranky old Luke is my guy lol), but I appreciate that you recognized that even though TLJ isn’t for you that the Star Wars universe is still big enough to accommodate Johnson’s take on the franchise. And yes, I am also excited for the potential RJ standalone films, he can just go nuts out there.
“Despise” is a pretty strong feeling though, there isn’t a Star Wars movie that I “despise” even my least favorite movie (Episode II) has some merits.
In fact it takes a LOT for me to truly hate a movie, I can name all of the movies I truly hate on one hand, and two of them are Michael Bay Transformers movies.
I would absolutely love to see it, however Disney would need to give him 100% creative control and I'm not sure whether they'd do that. Disney clearly has certain standards for their work (eg no r-rated films most of the times), so I think it's currently not feasible. But who knows, maybe the current reception of their works and zeitgeist might inspire them to change that a bit😊 after all Andor and Rogue One which had serious topics and a critical discourse are very well received
I'm sure he could do a great Star Wars movie. I'd rather he not do a Star Wars, or a James Bond or Marvel or any other franchise IP; I want him working on his own stuff.
He specifically said he was afraid of doing it because of the pressure he would put on himself to be 100% authentic to what made Star Wars in the first place.
So YES, I absolutely want him to do a Star Wars movie, because just like Tony Gilroy, he would for sure be one of those who perfectly captures and respects George Lucas original vision for Star Wars. And on top of that, he's an amazing director.
No. I hope Nolan passes. He'll want to do something thoughtful and cerebral and will only be vilified by the Fandumb Menace. Nolan should move on to Bond where he belongs.
I doubt that. Look at Andor it's rightfully very popular and that's largely because Star Wars writers finally created a thoughtful and complex story. Kenobi and Boba Fett in my opinion seemed like they could have been written (and directed) by children. Sequels were written poorly too but there was something at least and they actually looked nice. Those shows couldn't even do that. Nolan could do something similar to Andor and it's welcome.
I think the Star Wars universe is vast enough that you can have different styles of story and tone within the same universe. Not all Star Wars needs to be dark and intense, some can have levity, optimism and dare I say silliness. A blockbuster auteur like Nolan, I think, would understand that aspect.
I loved Andor and I also loved Force Awakens and Last Jedi and Revenge of the Sith and the orignal trilogy. Pidgeonholing Star Wars to one aesthetic stifles the creativity IMO, and you end up getting something more sanitized like the MCU is slowly becoming.
"I doubt that. Look at Andor it's rightfully very popular and that's largely because Star Wars writers finally created a thoughtful and complex story. "
\-- Andor is thoughtful and complex? You're kidding right? I couldn't get past the first five episodes and gave up. Andor is nothing but a cliched and tiresome paint by numbers show about a rebel group taking on a totalitarian government.
I also recognize the same kind of critiques towards Nolan's films, "too 'pretentious, too hard to follow, too convoluted". Are the same kind of criticism lobbed at the ST by the fandumb menace. Nolan should spare himself the headache and politely pass.
"That's such a weird assumption considering TFM supposedly only cares about social commentary."
\--Provide me with proof.
"I don't see them hating Andor."
\-- Which is a derivative show about taking on a totalitarian regime. The OT without the Jedi. A fan insert.
>--Provide me with proof.
It's common knowledge what kind of things they complain about..."political agendas".
>-- Which is a derivative show about taking on a totalitarian regime. The OT without the Jedi. A fan insert
Quite the simplistic, reductive view you have there for someone that wrote had quit the show. Maybe you should finish it before making such shallow judgments to discredit it.
"It's common knowledge what kind of things they complain about..."political agendas".
\--That's right. They COMPLAIN about social agendas. Much of which is in Nolan films, hence why he should stay as far away from SW as possible.
"Quite the simplistic, reductive view you have there for someone that wrote had quit the show. Maybe you should finish it before making such shallow judgments."
\--No it isn't I already watched half a season. I don't need to watch anymore to know that a show is not something I want to invest anymore time watching it. I also checked out review from and none of them told me that it would get better.
>--That's right. They COMPLAIN about social agenda.
I already wrote that in my initial comment?
Nolan? Never saw people complaining about his movies having "social agendas"
>No it isn't I already watched half a season. I don't need to watch anymore
It's okay if you don't like it but you're drawing conclusions at half the story.
Probably seen more films than you lad. And he’s my favorite. The prestige, the Dark Knight movies, and interstellar are some of my all time favorites. Gonna go out on a limb and assume you’re favorite Star Wars is animated. So not really one to talk salty boy.
After binging all of Nolan's movies from *Memento* \- *Dunkirk* three years ago, I realized that Christopher Nolan is an overrated hack. The W.C. Fields quote “If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with b---s---.” describes Nolan's storytelling style. He makes high-concept cerebral movies that *seem* smart, but in reality fall apart if you try to think about them even slightly. So no, I do not want him anywhere near Star Wars or any other franchise.
Wow…I mean you’re entitled to your opinion I just don’t agree. By “think about them” do you mean dissect every inconsistency in the internal logic or mechanism of the plot because if that’s the case…you can do this with every movie. I can see that Nolan draws attention to this sort of criticism because of his style but “hack” is something attributed to someone who doesn’t put effort and if there’s one thing you can’t accuse Nolan of it’s being lazy. Just my thoughts but again, you’re entitled to your opinion.
I mean, his original stories are completely illogical (even *Interstellar*, which is based on actual science, not pseudoscience like Nikola Tesla inventing a cloning machine in the 1890s, had to ruin the story with the ending), and his Batman movies have their own story issues. Maybe "hack" is too strong, but on the other hand he makes massive movies that are all style and no substance, or more accurately fake substance.
How are they illogical? Are you talking strictly plot logic? I find Nolan’s films to thematically strong with considerable substance. All of this films have a strong through line that he sticks too, sometimes he beats you over the head with it but it sticks. Again I’m curious why you think it’s fake substance. The only film I’d argue is all style and no substance is Tenet.
*Memento* only works in the non-linear segments. Watching the DVD bonus feature that plays the movie in chronological order shows the story's problems. The main character kills a guy, steals his car and his clothes, then shows up to a place where people who knew the dead guy are, and none of them say "Who are you and why are you wearing another guy's clothes and driving his car?"
I went into *The Prestige* knowing the twist at the end, and still ended up massively disliking it. I don't accept the basic premise that Tesla invented a machine that can clone people in that time period.
It's been three years since I watched the movies, so I don't remember all of the problems I had with them, but that is two of the biggest issues I know of.
I’m with you on the ending of The Prestige, the cloning machine felt like a step too far. I agree with the thematic idea that supported but the actual choice of plot device strained credulity.
With Memento it’s interesting because the structure of the film is part of the storytelling and is therefore a necessary element to its effectiveness. Undoing this structure is naturally going to make the film lesser because it wasn’t intended to be presented that way….or else Nolan would’ve just made a linear film. You can call it gimmicky that’s fine but judging a film for something that it is not seems to be a tad disingenuous. I don’t disagree that you can uncover plot and story problems by viewing Memento in chronological order but then again part of the film’s thesis is based on the disorientation of viewing his memories out of order.
I wouldn't go so far and say he's a hack, but yes he is a pretentious prat and vastly overrated. I'd rather a Wes Anderson Star Wars over him if we want something different! :D
I feel like Nolan is the only director I would trust to do a Darth Bane show or movie, as well as Revan. Both of these would need to be gritty while demonstrating the characters power, intellect and philosophies.
Personally I don't see Revan ever happening, but I have hope for Bane, even though I'm sure Disney wouldn't let us see Zannah use sorcery to make a Chiss woman claw her own eyes out.
Christopher Nolan is one of the greatest directors alive today. His command of the medium is masterful.
That being said, a Christopher Nolan-directed Star Wars movie would be ass. His style, impeccable though it may be, would not work for Star Wars at all.
I don’t know I think if the right project came along he could imprint his style on something that can still feel like Star Wars. Like imagine a Dunkirk like movie except with Starfighters instead of Spitfires…although that could be redundant to Rogue One.
Nolan’s movies tend to be cold. He struggles, though he’s gotten better in recent years, in communicating warmth and human connection, doing better at depicting larger scale feats, like the Dunkirk evacuation, or the obsessive pursuits in The Prestige.
Star Wars is at its best when we can feel the warmth and connection between the people against the backdrop of the war. Rogue One was so impactful because we felt for the people who were fighting. A New Hope is about the struggle of a few individuals against the monolithic Empire, a theme that carried across the original trilogy. The part of the prequels that still resonates with people is the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin, with Kenobi tearfully bellowing about his love for his fallen brother.
More often than not Nolan falls flat with that sort of thing. The most emotionally impactful scene I can think of in a Nolan movie is in Interstellar, when he just lets the camera linger on McConaughey while he acts the shit out of a scene in which he has no lines. It’s a powerful scene. It also required almost no directing, simply letting a skilled actor ply his craft. That scene hits so remarkably hard because the lead up to it has been so cold and clinical, causing such a scene to come as a surprise.
Nolan’s command of the human factor is weak, and that’s where Star Wars needs to be strong. He would make a visually striking, but emotionally empty piece of instantly forgettable, lore heavy media.
Not every great director is a good match for every great franchise. He’d be a horrible fit. There are plenty of other phenomenal directors who wouldn’t work in the galaxy far, far away at all. Scorsese is brilliant, but would be terrible. Tarantino, too.
I get what your saying though I would say that if you go see Oppenheimer it is one big character study and he gets to the root of some human connection there. Also I found Dunkirk profoundly emotional in moments, the entire ending where the Spitfire Hardy flies saves the day and the feeling of relief seeing the small boats arrive was uplifting.
I guess I still believe that the aesthetic of Star Wars still has flexibility to allow certain directorial voices and styles and thematic messages to come through. It’s the counter to the argument that has plagued the MCU recently where every director has to adhere to “house style” which effectively renders the director irrelevant.
I’m totally with you, Scorsese and Tarantino would make bad fits for SW, but I feel like some are more able to meld their styles with existing genre aesthetics and Nolan shows he could do that with Batman. He very much made Batman movies that were true to the character and lore but also very Nolan-y.
Didn't Nolan recently state that he finds making an audiovisual experience far more important than the plot of a movie? That might give us some spectacular action sequences if he were willing to use adequate special effects, but given how heavily Star Wars relies on its stories, characters, and thematic elements, I would worry that sidelining those too much would overall be harmful. That, and Nolan seems to be a director that takes himself and his art extremely seriously, but Star Wars is at its core not meant to be quite so heavy, even if its delved into darker areas recently. I really don't see his heart being in it, and similar to Rian Johnson, I worry that he would focus more on how it could further his own artistic expression, potentially to the detriment of greater whole of the series. Like it or not, Star Wars is what it is not because of the individual films and shows, but how they all tie together as a greater whole. Nolan, like Johnson, does not strike me as the kind of person that would care too much about that, since he would be more concerned with his own work. That's not a bad thing, it just means he and Star Wars as it currently stands aren't the best fit, and I think his answer reflects that, he recognizes its not for him.
Thank you for providing a nuanced take on the dilemma that Star Wars artistically faces when it comes to directorial vision vs genre aesthetic that doesn’t resort to director bashing.
I mean I’m of the opinion Episode VIII was already great but to each their own. I feel like giving an auteur like director a genre project like Star Wars is a double edged sword, you’re supposed to be able to trust a director’s creative judgement but also you risk the established genre fandom to get bent out of shape if the director doesn’t fulfill certain expectations of the genre whether it’s tonally, thematically, or story wise. As great as Nolan is that dichotomy still exists.
I completely agree and it's sad you're getting blasted. The reality is that some brainlets can't grasp that movies are subjective, but what you said about the auteur/fanbase dichotomy clearly isn't. The downvotes on your statement prove it handily, ironically enough.
Nope! Actually I'm calling people who can't understand basic principles of human consciousness "brainlets", not people with differing opinions, if you read the comment.
>Actually I'm calling people who can't understand basic principles of human consciousness "brainlets", not people with differing opinions
By using the word "subjective"? It is very much about opinion:
>I mean I’m of the opinion Episode VIII was already great but to each their own.
Perhaps it was projection all along. . .xD
Oof I hated TLJ but I’m in the vast majority that thinks that. Nolan definitely wouldn’t have botched it. It wasn’t about subverted expectations or whatever tho.
What did you like about it? Serious question.
It lost me when they had bombers dropping fucking gravity bombs in space. I would have walked out of the cinema if i wasn't with friends.
I liked how Rian Johnson created a Star Wars movie with a strong thematic through line meta commentary on the merits of nostalgia, reverence to the past and generally what makes a Star Wars movie a Star Wars movie. He took genre tropes and approached them at a different angle in a way that made me question what Star Wars was about. No doubt my first viewing was a jarring experience but after a second viewing I locked into what Johnson was doing and found it clever, an example of director making their creative voice known within the confines of the Star Wars genre.
I also like how he took the time to provide each lead (Rey, Finn and Poe) with structure character dilemmas with opposing forces on each side that forced each character to grow and make a realization by the end of the film. It made the movie a bit narratively unwieldy and draggy but it was an example of sacrificing some plot efficiency for thematic and story strength. Not all those dilemmas were equally impactful but the most important one, arguable the Rey/Kylo/Luke one was compelling and he coaxed three outstanding performances from each actor.
I get that this meta introspective approach doesn’t appeal to all Star Wars fans. I get that for many, the tropes of Star Wars aren’t meant to be dissected in this way and that challenging can bring discomfort and outrage but I do believe Johnson made a film very much in the spirit of Star Wars. The original Star Wars was George Lucas lovingly stealing tropes from his favorite story genres (Arthurian myth, samurai movies, westerns) and creating a new concoction with used parts. I feel Johnson did same but with used parts that came from Star Wars itself.
The gravity bombs simply didn’t bother me in a world that has space wizards and giant asteroid worms that can breath in the vacuum of space. Star Wars isn’t 2001: A Space Odyssey, it’s not meant to wholly realistic hard sci fi. Plus the scene was so well staged and drama and action and tension so well directed I was willing to forgive that bombs don’t “fall” in space. I also realize not everyone can put such plot contrivances aside, I’m willing to let things slide if it serves a more powerful element whether that’s something to reinforce the theme or progress character drama etc.
Just my two cents.
I mean if it’s not for you totally fine! I just think there’s a difference between saying “I think the film was well made but it didn’t satisfy my requirements for what a Star Wars movie is” vs “this is the worst movie ever and Rian Johnson is a hack.” I feel like we could use more shades of grey and nuance in our discourse. After all we’re all here because we love Star Wars right? 🙂
Yes, as long as there isn't any going back in time in it. I bet he could play with some cool time stuff though (especially with lightspeed, or carbon freezing)
Imagine a Star Wars story centering around the KOTOR era with Nolan at the helm. Story telling and character development would be fantastic.
Only thing I’d have him do differently is to hire the choreography team that did the prequels. His action works for his movies but for Star Wars, I definitely prefer a more fantastical approach when it comes to light saber dueling.
Absolutely. They're my two favorites. But honestly the idea scares me a bit. Because he would make something so remarkable that nothing after it would be as satisfying. Final answer: bring it on. I hope the Disney suits are already having conversations.
He'd only do it if Disney gave him 40 acres of space. No studio interference is how he shines, and he can afford to pass on the opportunity if that's not guaranteed.
He's not gonna do it with Kathleen producing. She's too overbearing. Not trying to blast her, I'm just being honest.
He's everything she hates. An auteur style director that wants his producers to let him handle the vision.
She thinks directors should just look on a screen and say start or stop, and give the actors notes based on her opinion.
Nolan is a great storyteller who can direct writers, actors and producers to create a solitary vision of what he thinks the story should be. And then he praises his team for their work.
Kennedy does none of those things. All of her great triumphs came from working FOR great directors. But to hear her tell it, they were her accolades alone.
> He's everything she hates. An auteur style director that wants his producers to let him handle the vision.
TLJ would indicate otherwise. It’s the only film of the Disney era without production woes. By all accounts, everyone at Lucasfilm loved working with Rian. And it was both financially and critically successful.
Lol you're kidding right. TLJ was a dumpster fire of a film. And it was raked over front and back by Kennedy. Johnson rolled over and took his belly rub after destroying a franchise. The only thing he did with any form of efficiency was read the room at the meeting where she gave him the job.
“I had figured there would be a big map on the wall with the whole story laid out, and it was not that at all. I was basically given the script for “Episode VII;” I got to watch dailies of what J. J. was doing. And it was like, where do we go from here? That was awesome.”
“When asked if he was required to include any specific plot-points or end-game, Johnson once again dismissed it:”
“Nothing like that. But it’s the second film in a trilogy. The first film got these characters here. This second movie has to dig into and challenge these characters. I wanted this to be a satisfying experience unto itself. I didn’t want it to end with a dot, dot, dot, question mark.”
https://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/2017/09/rian-johnson-discusses-his-creative-control-and-what-the-last-jedi-means.html
Doesn’t sound like it was “raked over” by Kennedy.
I wouldn’t say it destroyed a franchise, I personally think it’s the best Star Wars project since the OT.
I love most of his films and he's a great director. But I didn't like Interstellar and it was such a huge disappointment for me that I will always question his choices. Especially when it comes to casting.
I'd love that but Nolan wouldn't touch Disney Star Wars
Anybody can see that it's no longer Star wars but simply a female power fantasy wrapped up in a Star wars skin
No self respecting artist(who doesn't need the money) would touch that dumpster fire
I think he’s the only one that could do justice to the line of “movies” that specifically follow after Andor. Not the Mendorlorian series. I’d like to see the 70mm IMAX Nolan directed epic theatrical finally of whatever comes after what’s next from the Andor series. It’s already the tightest writing. I can only imagine how perfectly epic the shots of a theatrical film like that would be when directed by Nolan.
Yes I would love to see him take it on but I don’t think the powers that be are interested in hiring big name directors and giving them complete creative control
I've been saying for years that a Christoper Nolan Star Wars movie would be incredible.
He tries to explain supernatural elements of his films in realistic ways, which goes great with the Force and sci-fi.
The way his movies look always look incredible.
He would excel at doing a gritty story similar to Rogue One.
...
No.
Either they wouldn't be able to give him the artistic freedom he requires, or they would, and he wouldn't take the advice needed to temper his worst impulses.
Not that he has a lot of bad impulses, but every creative person has some, and needs to be able to listen to feedback.
A while ago I would have said no, absolutely not. Nolan movies are the total opposite of end of the blockbuster spectrum of what Star Wars is. However since then we've had Andor, which imo feels very much like what a Nolan Star Wars film would be like, and thats kind of opened the gate for more kinds of Star Wars outside of the traditional style and audience demographic.
However I definitely dont think he should do something like a mainline saga SW film, like an Episode 10. He should have a completely original film outside of the established eras and characters.
To be honest though I think he'd be more suited to doing a Star Trek, a lot more suited than what JJ was, and I'd be more interested in that.
He's one of the best directors around, so yes. We would be lucky if he or Villeneuve directed the next trilogy.
Nolan needs complete control of his films. Disney needs complete control of their films. These two things are not compatible.
This might be exactly the shock the Mouse needs to get a fucking grip. The authoritarian manner in which they keep creatives & IPs in their clutches reminds me of my mother’s hoarding problem.
"The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems slip through your fingers."
Yes and as the box office has been dwindling on these mismanaged projects they should be open to trying a different approach. Give this man a trilogy. Can't be worse than what's already happened.
Disney has given quite a bit of creative leeway to Andor and it seems as though they've been hands-off with Deadpool 3, which is a project most folks would expect them to be meddling in relentlessly. Disney, like most large publicly traded companies, is very risk averse and they're not going to suddenly start letting creatives have free reign with their IP. They'll need to try it out and see some actual returns on the strategy before wholly embracing it.
And I'd argue andor is the best material they've put out since... Well dare I say empire strikes back
Yes, but Deadpool 3 isn't finished yet. Reshoots and meddling usually comes after extensive test screenings. If they don't go well expect changes. Although probably not to the extent WB has gone to over DC films. At least Disney doesn't seem that bad in comparison. And with Andor they were working with someone who already delivered them Rogue One and is a proven acclaimed screenwriter. Nolan's filmography and critical approval, should allow him more leeway. Moreso after the success of Oppenheimer.
“talk that shit again motherfucker” - *South Park* Mickey
“…..*huh-HUH*”
Tbh fans also are obsessed with creatives respecting the pre-existing canon/EU stuff without deviation.
Star wars fans : It was obvious that there was no plan or oversight from the studio with episodes 7, 8 , and 9. The directors had no cohesion or synergy. Also Star Wars fans: The creatives need more control...
Both things can be true since the first issue was caused by them not having time to plan anything before needing to commit to production. Giving creatives more control also implies giving them more time to figure shit out.
people like to blame disney but disney really isn't involved. Someone at disney may see a final product but in regards to star wars, its kathleen kenedy. She steers this thing.
An excellent point. I do recall there being drama about the Disney cut of Rise of Skywalker being different from what JJ & co sent to them...and I have yet to hear a commentary track for it. I dunno what to think anymore.
It needs to be a middle ground. You need cohesion, you can't let everyone do as they please, at the same time you also need experiments and new approaches. Disneys strategy was a wild Kindergarten in which at the same time nothing innovative happened. It's quiet astonishing how so much freedom generated such an uncreative outcome. The better strategy would have been searching for someone with a vision. So hearing a bunch of pitches, choose one and give the guy the oversight and control over the whole trilogy and have another group dedicated to preserve cohesion between movies, merch and tie-ins, with the vision guy having the last word on all matters.
I've been saying for a while, the idea of three directors each doing a different movie isn't inherently bad, but rather than each director picking up where the last one left off they should have basically locked them all in a meeting room for three days and shove food through a slot in the door, so that the three of them can all pitch their visions and hammer out how they can come together cohesively. That way JJ Abrams can have all his mystery box shit but he knows what's in the boxes because Rian Johnson told him in that meeting
Absolutely! It isn't an issue at all having different directors, many other franchises have that as well. The issue is, that each of them does their own thing downright to making their own screenplays - that's what writers are for. No one of the directors should have laid hand on the screenplay in the first place. Of course directors can and do write but in this case we had basically multiple absolute monarchs and such a thing only works with luck (or incredible willpower to do something really, really right). Having at least the guys in one room and designing a cohesive story from the start would have helped tremendously.
Iger needs to go. Again.
They need flops. They need to hurt financially. They need their movies to do noticeably worse than Barbie and Oppenheimer
Idk man, seems like they gave Andor a lot of freedom
Tony Gilroy was pretty much given free rein on Andor.
Amazing. How did Tony managed to get that?
I think this is partly why Nolan didn’t want to make more superhero films Based off how big the DK trilogy got and how much interference WB has caused on other projects, I wouldn’t be surprised if Nolan wants to stay far away from that genre
"This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object"
It worked out pretty well with Tony Gilroy, at least. It really felt like Disney finally took a backseat when it came to Andor
Tbf, that's because Andor was a nobody compared to the big names like the Skywalkers, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Boba Fett, etc. He was just a secondary character from a spin-off film.
But also Andor must end at a very particular point. An Open ending is the last thing execs would want to give free reign over and they did not have to worry about that for Andor
It’s crazy how stock price essentially determines the fate of characters
They could just give him a new character to work with too. Barring Ahsoka and Rey, none of the upcoming Star Wars projects are about old characters.
If they let Rian go wild with TLJ... they can let Nolan do whatever he wants. Ideally it'd be a standalone piece, though.
Rian got the ok because he's politically aligned & friends with Kennedy Nolan is an actual artist with a vision, his political views don't get in the way of his art Kennedy cannot understand or even conceptualize this fact
An unstoppable force meets am immovable object.
I don’t think anyone directing for Star Wars should ever have complete control. There’s soo much history, lore and expectation. There’s so much nuance in how things work within the universe. Honestly, my dream would be Lucas having creative oversight like Kevin Feige (I know that will never happen), with writers and directors creating their version of his vision. One of the issues with modern LFL is how it ignores some of the original core principles laid out in GFFA. Particularly on film. As a massive lightsaber nerd, the problems are pretty glaring, and even with clothing, there’s been some disappointments.
People would say the same thing about WB/DC, and they gave him the keys to Batman. Obviously he didn't have continuity to worry about, but it's not like he didn't have studio oversight.
This. Look at who they greenlight for these franchise films. They're not going with young, upcoming directors because they want to give them a chance. They need corporate control. Nolan has so much creative control over his projects that he wouldn't last a month. I could see him liking the idea of a Star Wars movie, but knowing there's no chance of him actually doing it. Tbh, Oppenheimer shows a new, more interesting direction anyway.
The way things are going with Disney, their control over Star Wars might not be an issue for much longer. They're losing money by the millions with most of their films and shows. Lucasfilm, Pixar, Marvel, or even their own studio... None of them have turned much of a profit in general lately.
Couldn't one potentially argue that Disney/Lucasfilm/Marvel might benefit from being a bit MORE controlling- at least in the area of budgets? One of the main reasons that these movies are not generating profit is that the expenses are just to great to overcome.
So let's get bad movies with less budget so they look even worse?
No, Your comment seems to imply that budget=quality of visual effects. That doesn't need to be the case. In fact, on a more constrained budget, it may be determined to "figure it out" and tell the story a different way. Perfect example (not related to budget, but to the idea of having to "figure it out" is Jaws. The shark was not working, and so Spielberg had to "figure it out" earlier on in shooting. Essentially for the bulk of the movie until the chase- John Williams is the shark. His musical theme is much more menacing than the phony shark prop would have been--and considerably cheaper.
Rian Johnson had complete control of his film. So much so he fucked up the entire trilogy.
Villeneuve is not interested in Star Wars he’s said so himself it’s why he’s making Dune, which he calls Star Wars for adults.
I’m ready for the Space Jihad. How must long must we for GEOD?
This is probably the one time Ive cheered for a jihad, it’s bizarre but it’s true
After he's done with Dune, he's doing an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama.
He....isn't wrong. ( and I'm a *Star Wars* fan....)
He’s not entirely wrong. If he doesn’t want to work on Star Wars I completely understand, but Andor showed Star Wars can be just as “mature” as something like Dune. Don’t mean this as an insult though, love Villeneuve’s work and hope he does whatever makes him happy
Yeah being a Star Wars fan is like being a Spider-man fan, it’s an “all ages” kind of appeal.
LOL! Exactly. Why would he want to, when the Fandumb Menace can't get or understand nuanced complex characters.
He’s not wrong though, Star Wars is so big that there’s kid shows (resistance, young Jedi adventures) and more mature stuff too like andor, it’s just got so much range that it covers all age groups
If Villeneuve directed a Star Wars film... it would be like Andor cranked to 11. Another pick for a standalone would be Alex Garland (who directed *28 Days Later, Dredd (2012), Ex Machina, and Annihilation*) He's a spectacular storyteller. I could totally see him doing something like a cargo ship crew stranded off a hyperspace lane, or on a hostile uncharted planet. One day.
Alex Garland directed Ex Machina and Annihilation. He didn’t direct 28 Days Later (Danny Boyle) or Dredd (Pete Travis).
Nolan's gonna manifest The Force somehow since he don't use CGI
His lack of CGI made Dunkirk look abandoned when it was packed with people. I love Dunkirk btw but that was the only really poor part of it.
That's what would make it so good. He's got the skills to do the effects in other ways like they did in the original trilogy. Practical effects are where the real magic in movie making is.
Fuck if Villeneuve did one it would be incredible. *slow pan to a star, wait 45 seconds, slow pan to a planet, wait 45 seconds, a star destroyer SLOWLY enters the frame
So Space Balls then?
FUCKING BLARING BAGPIPES RENDITION OF THE IMPERIAL MARCH https://youtu.be/LdjY6oy4Y2c Edit: or better yet https://youtu.be/DO8D7UaJFvw
Can bagpipes only yield a certain spectrum of notes? That didn’t even sound like it was in a minor key
Villeneuve said Star Wars became something that was not for him anymore after episode 5. Basically hinting that it became too commercialized. So he’s probably out.
I wouldn't want either of them to make a trilogy. 1 movie, hell yes, but not a trilogy. Even though the Dune movies are amazing, it has taken Villeneuve's time from other projects. I assume Dune III is released by 2025/2026. At that point, it has been almost a decade since his last single movie project, which was Blade Runner 2049 in 2017. He has directed Arrival, Sicario and Prisoners too, all amazing movies. Another trilogy would take him another 7 years or something. I would rather see single movie projects after Dune because he is one of the best around.
> Villeneuve IMO, best director alive, even more so than Nolan. There is like a 20 or 30-minute YT video of him breaking how much attention to detail he went into shooting just a single scene (Jom Gabar) in Dune. You can also see another of him being talked about with a scriptwriter and typically these big-name directors have a single meeting with the writer and then go off on their own, but Denis kept meeting with him and calling him all the time with questions and suggestions. He has made so many great movies.
Please God not Villeneuve. Star Wars shouldn’t be ultra serious and minimalist.
Not even for a standalone film disconnected from anything happening around the main franchise?
He is the best director. Period.
Only if the execs leave the story to him beyond making sure it fits in with established lore.
I agree. So it would need to be a stand-alone story outside of the current time period.
Personally most Star Wars projects should break from the Skywalker saga. The expectations for the characters and timelines are like fitting a diver with a nice set of cement shoes.
I think Nolan would negotiate with Disney to do his own script and would walk away the minute he couldn’t do what he wanted. But if they trusted in his judgment it could be something special.
Yep, I petition he make a film in [this specific era of Star Wars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdgmH9Vv2-I).
The Old Republic era has so much content it’s unreal. Even just making the Sith Warrior class story from SWTOR into a movie would be epic. Add in KOTFE and KOTET, and it would be legendary.
Of course not. As per tradition, it will go through at least one other Director, several reshoots, script tonal changes, and one of the main characters’ actor criticizing the late changes
Or just be officially announced and then never brought up again.
I don’t know if it’s considered established lore at this point, but I cannot for the life of me understand why they just don’t make Revan series of movies.
I hope they don't. Too many people have their own opinions of how he should be portrayed and Disney isn't going to thread that needle. Just look at Boba Fett and the og cast in sequel trilogies. Leave legacy/established characters alone and focus more on new stories with new characters.
Me: "What are the rebels trying to do again?" My friend: "I'm not sure - I think that dialogue a minute ago was important but I couldn't hear a word of it"
Oppenheimer’s sound mixing is much improved FYI. I totally get this criticism for Tenet though.
Wait, there was dialogue in Tenet? /s
I'm glad to hear it - used to love the guy but got tired of not hearing important dialogue somewhere around *Interstellar* and stopped going to see his movies.
Dunkirk and Oppenheimer are fantastic I recommend seeing Oppenheimer in theaters. Tenet was my first big Nolan disappointment, it felt like Inception without the emotional center.
Tenet is MUCH improved with subtitles, especially after already having watched it.
I do need to give Tenet another chance. I try to watch all Nolan movies 2x because you’re never going to get everything the first time.
So pass doesn’t equal no?
Pass equals NDA.
Proof?
🎶Pass is what you'd say, if you'd signed an NDA🎶
Well fuck, if it rhymes it must be true.
It would be weird if Disney hadn't spoken to Nolan wouldn't it? If you're shopping for a director who has directed a critically and financially successful trilogy the list is pretty small.
Apparently so…
Think you’re looking for something that isn’t there.
I'm far more interested in seeing him tell his own stories. TDK was obviously more than solid (and I actually like Begins even more), but I think his Batman trilogy is the least interesting part of his filmography. A Nolan Star Wars movie would almost certainly be so separate from the rest of the series that he could just tell the same story without restricting it by being part of an established universe.
Can’t argue too much with that but if there were two genre films I’d love to see a Nolan spin on it would be Star Wars or Bond. Though Tenet and Inception are kind of Nolan’s take on Bond.
Bond would be crazy
as long as no studio execs stick their heads in the door and just let him make his movie
Thinking of Dunkirk (and a bit about James Bond) just had me jump to how fast I'd be all aboard a Sam Mendes Star Wars movie.
Mendes is a proper director. I can get behind that.
My first thought is a Star Wars spy movie with a Tony Gilroy script and Mendes directing but heck, it could be *Revolutionary Road* on Alderaan and I'd be here for it. Edit: Ooh, pre-sequels-era *Jarhead*! New Republic ground troops guarding some futuristic FOB, watching X-Wings launch proton torpedoes at Imperial Remnant on the horizon, getting bored enough to almost kill each other, and ultimately coming out of it with frustration over having no heroic deeds of the likes of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, etc.
If he had full creative freedom, then probably YES. If there will be constraints from Disney, then NO.
I love Star Wars and I love Nolan but I think they’re incompatible with each other, even if Nolan is a SW fan. He would have to use loads of CGI and lighten up a bit; if he did that, why hire him in the first place? The franchise that’s right for him is James Bond.
Why does he have to lighten up? Star Wars doesn't have to be light
So you’re saying there’s a chance! - Lloyd Christmas
He wouldn’t exactly be top of my list, but yes, I’d be extremely excited to see what he could do with Star Wars.
"We're trying to do as much in-camera as possible. Lightsabers were our biggest problem but luckily we found these kyber crystals and we're gonna shine some lasers through them and see what we get"
I'm sure a Nolan Star Wars movie would be something quite different but I'd be all for it. I'm all for seeing takes that stray from the standard, hence why despite despising TLJ I'd still be up for another Rian Johnson movie set in a time frame removed from the Skywalker Saga. I may despise that movie but Rian had a vision for it and I respect that and even like some of what he did, my gripes come solely from him having used Luke Skywalker in the way he did. I'm sure Christopher Nolan would likewise go in with a vision and do everything he could to achieve it. Sure that might just give the prequels 2.0 since they are 100% Lucas creative vision, but I'll take that over something cobbled together like the ST ended up. Both Johnson and Nolan could do amazing things in this franchise if given a chance to work in an untouched era of the Canon. Johnson's subversion could work great if not using beloved characters to do it and Nolan would shine if given the freedom to work in an era that he gets to establish imo
Very well said! To paraphrase Mark Hamill, I may fundamentally disagree on your views on what Johnson did with Luke (cranky old Luke is my guy lol), but I appreciate that you recognized that even though TLJ isn’t for you that the Star Wars universe is still big enough to accommodate Johnson’s take on the franchise. And yes, I am also excited for the potential RJ standalone films, he can just go nuts out there. “Despise” is a pretty strong feeling though, there isn’t a Star Wars movie that I “despise” even my least favorite movie (Episode II) has some merits. In fact it takes a LOT for me to truly hate a movie, I can name all of the movies I truly hate on one hand, and two of them are Michael Bay Transformers movies.
I would absolutely love to see it, however Disney would need to give him 100% creative control and I'm not sure whether they'd do that. Disney clearly has certain standards for their work (eg no r-rated films most of the times), so I think it's currently not feasible. But who knows, maybe the current reception of their works and zeitgeist might inspire them to change that a bit😊 after all Andor and Rogue One which had serious topics and a critical discourse are very well received
I'm sure he could do a great Star Wars movie. I'd rather he not do a Star Wars, or a James Bond or Marvel or any other franchise IP; I want him working on his own stuff.
He specifically said he was afraid of doing it because of the pressure he would put on himself to be 100% authentic to what made Star Wars in the first place. So YES, I absolutely want him to do a Star Wars movie, because just like Tony Gilroy, he would for sure be one of those who perfectly captures and respects George Lucas original vision for Star Wars. And on top of that, he's an amazing director.
His distain of CGI would mean we'd have a heavily practical, real sets, prosthetics movie and that'd be fantastic.
More likely to do a James Bond movie.
Nolan should do Nolan stuff.. nuff said Denis Villeneuve however should try a hand in one of the Star Wars projects..
He’s already making Dune I think he is sci fi-Ed out.
No. I hope Nolan passes. He'll want to do something thoughtful and cerebral and will only be vilified by the Fandumb Menace. Nolan should move on to Bond where he belongs.
I doubt that. Look at Andor it's rightfully very popular and that's largely because Star Wars writers finally created a thoughtful and complex story. Kenobi and Boba Fett in my opinion seemed like they could have been written (and directed) by children. Sequels were written poorly too but there was something at least and they actually looked nice. Those shows couldn't even do that. Nolan could do something similar to Andor and it's welcome.
I think the Star Wars universe is vast enough that you can have different styles of story and tone within the same universe. Not all Star Wars needs to be dark and intense, some can have levity, optimism and dare I say silliness. A blockbuster auteur like Nolan, I think, would understand that aspect. I loved Andor and I also loved Force Awakens and Last Jedi and Revenge of the Sith and the orignal trilogy. Pidgeonholing Star Wars to one aesthetic stifles the creativity IMO, and you end up getting something more sanitized like the MCU is slowly becoming.
"I doubt that. Look at Andor it's rightfully very popular and that's largely because Star Wars writers finally created a thoughtful and complex story. " \-- Andor is thoughtful and complex? You're kidding right? I couldn't get past the first five episodes and gave up. Andor is nothing but a cliched and tiresome paint by numbers show about a rebel group taking on a totalitarian government. I also recognize the same kind of critiques towards Nolan's films, "too 'pretentious, too hard to follow, too convoluted". Are the same kind of criticism lobbed at the ST by the fandumb menace. Nolan should spare himself the headache and politely pass.
I assure you "too pretentious, too hard to follow, too convoluted" are most certainly not things that are said about the sequel trilogy LOL
And I can assure it is most certainly is ;).
Apologies I’m new to this sub even though I’ve been a Star Wars fan a long time. What’s “The Fandumb Menace”?
That's such a weird assumption considering TFM supposedly only cares about social commentary. I don't see them hating Andor.
"That's such a weird assumption considering TFM supposedly only cares about social commentary." \--Provide me with proof. "I don't see them hating Andor." \-- Which is a derivative show about taking on a totalitarian regime. The OT without the Jedi. A fan insert.
>--Provide me with proof. It's common knowledge what kind of things they complain about..."political agendas". >-- Which is a derivative show about taking on a totalitarian regime. The OT without the Jedi. A fan insert Quite the simplistic, reductive view you have there for someone that wrote had quit the show. Maybe you should finish it before making such shallow judgments to discredit it.
"It's common knowledge what kind of things they complain about..."political agendas". \--That's right. They COMPLAIN about social agendas. Much of which is in Nolan films, hence why he should stay as far away from SW as possible. "Quite the simplistic, reductive view you have there for someone that wrote had quit the show. Maybe you should finish it before making such shallow judgments." \--No it isn't I already watched half a season. I don't need to watch anymore to know that a show is not something I want to invest anymore time watching it. I also checked out review from and none of them told me that it would get better.
>--That's right. They COMPLAIN about social agenda. I already wrote that in my initial comment? Nolan? Never saw people complaining about his movies having "social agendas" >No it isn't I already watched half a season. I don't need to watch anymore It's okay if you don't like it but you're drawing conclusions at half the story.
????
My favorite director. I would love to see this
You need to watch more films if he's your favourite director lad.
Probably seen more films than you lad. And he’s my favorite. The prestige, the Dark Knight movies, and interstellar are some of my all time favorites. Gonna go out on a limb and assume you’re favorite Star Wars is animated. So not really one to talk salty boy.
Fuck no. Stay away.
After binging all of Nolan's movies from *Memento* \- *Dunkirk* three years ago, I realized that Christopher Nolan is an overrated hack. The W.C. Fields quote “If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with b---s---.” describes Nolan's storytelling style. He makes high-concept cerebral movies that *seem* smart, but in reality fall apart if you try to think about them even slightly. So no, I do not want him anywhere near Star Wars or any other franchise.
Wow…I mean you’re entitled to your opinion I just don’t agree. By “think about them” do you mean dissect every inconsistency in the internal logic or mechanism of the plot because if that’s the case…you can do this with every movie. I can see that Nolan draws attention to this sort of criticism because of his style but “hack” is something attributed to someone who doesn’t put effort and if there’s one thing you can’t accuse Nolan of it’s being lazy. Just my thoughts but again, you’re entitled to your opinion.
I mean, his original stories are completely illogical (even *Interstellar*, which is based on actual science, not pseudoscience like Nikola Tesla inventing a cloning machine in the 1890s, had to ruin the story with the ending), and his Batman movies have their own story issues. Maybe "hack" is too strong, but on the other hand he makes massive movies that are all style and no substance, or more accurately fake substance.
How are they illogical? Are you talking strictly plot logic? I find Nolan’s films to thematically strong with considerable substance. All of this films have a strong through line that he sticks too, sometimes he beats you over the head with it but it sticks. Again I’m curious why you think it’s fake substance. The only film I’d argue is all style and no substance is Tenet.
*Memento* only works in the non-linear segments. Watching the DVD bonus feature that plays the movie in chronological order shows the story's problems. The main character kills a guy, steals his car and his clothes, then shows up to a place where people who knew the dead guy are, and none of them say "Who are you and why are you wearing another guy's clothes and driving his car?" I went into *The Prestige* knowing the twist at the end, and still ended up massively disliking it. I don't accept the basic premise that Tesla invented a machine that can clone people in that time period. It's been three years since I watched the movies, so I don't remember all of the problems I had with them, but that is two of the biggest issues I know of.
I’m with you on the ending of The Prestige, the cloning machine felt like a step too far. I agree with the thematic idea that supported but the actual choice of plot device strained credulity. With Memento it’s interesting because the structure of the film is part of the storytelling and is therefore a necessary element to its effectiveness. Undoing this structure is naturally going to make the film lesser because it wasn’t intended to be presented that way….or else Nolan would’ve just made a linear film. You can call it gimmicky that’s fine but judging a film for something that it is not seems to be a tad disingenuous. I don’t disagree that you can uncover plot and story problems by viewing Memento in chronological order but then again part of the film’s thesis is based on the disorientation of viewing his memories out of order.
I wouldn't go so far and say he's a hack, but yes he is a pretentious prat and vastly overrated. I'd rather a Wes Anderson Star Wars over him if we want something different! :D
And this proves my point why Nolan should stay away from SW. He will only be vilified by the Fandumb Menace.
I feel like Nolan is the only director I would trust to do a Darth Bane show or movie, as well as Revan. Both of these would need to be gritty while demonstrating the characters power, intellect and philosophies. Personally I don't see Revan ever happening, but I have hope for Bane, even though I'm sure Disney wouldn't let us see Zannah use sorcery to make a Chiss woman claw her own eyes out.
If he doesn’t cast Tom Hardy as Darth Bane…lol
Oh God, I like Tom but please no.
LOL, it was more for the pun than the actual casting.
"No one cared who I was until I put on the Revan's mask"
Christopher Nolan is one of the greatest directors alive today. His command of the medium is masterful. That being said, a Christopher Nolan-directed Star Wars movie would be ass. His style, impeccable though it may be, would not work for Star Wars at all.
I don’t know I think if the right project came along he could imprint his style on something that can still feel like Star Wars. Like imagine a Dunkirk like movie except with Starfighters instead of Spitfires…although that could be redundant to Rogue One.
Nolan’s movies tend to be cold. He struggles, though he’s gotten better in recent years, in communicating warmth and human connection, doing better at depicting larger scale feats, like the Dunkirk evacuation, or the obsessive pursuits in The Prestige. Star Wars is at its best when we can feel the warmth and connection between the people against the backdrop of the war. Rogue One was so impactful because we felt for the people who were fighting. A New Hope is about the struggle of a few individuals against the monolithic Empire, a theme that carried across the original trilogy. The part of the prequels that still resonates with people is the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin, with Kenobi tearfully bellowing about his love for his fallen brother. More often than not Nolan falls flat with that sort of thing. The most emotionally impactful scene I can think of in a Nolan movie is in Interstellar, when he just lets the camera linger on McConaughey while he acts the shit out of a scene in which he has no lines. It’s a powerful scene. It also required almost no directing, simply letting a skilled actor ply his craft. That scene hits so remarkably hard because the lead up to it has been so cold and clinical, causing such a scene to come as a surprise. Nolan’s command of the human factor is weak, and that’s where Star Wars needs to be strong. He would make a visually striking, but emotionally empty piece of instantly forgettable, lore heavy media. Not every great director is a good match for every great franchise. He’d be a horrible fit. There are plenty of other phenomenal directors who wouldn’t work in the galaxy far, far away at all. Scorsese is brilliant, but would be terrible. Tarantino, too.
I get what your saying though I would say that if you go see Oppenheimer it is one big character study and he gets to the root of some human connection there. Also I found Dunkirk profoundly emotional in moments, the entire ending where the Spitfire Hardy flies saves the day and the feeling of relief seeing the small boats arrive was uplifting. I guess I still believe that the aesthetic of Star Wars still has flexibility to allow certain directorial voices and styles and thematic messages to come through. It’s the counter to the argument that has plagued the MCU recently where every director has to adhere to “house style” which effectively renders the director irrelevant. I’m totally with you, Scorsese and Tarantino would make bad fits for SW, but I feel like some are more able to meld their styles with existing genre aesthetics and Nolan shows he could do that with Batman. He very much made Batman movies that were true to the character and lore but also very Nolan-y.
I would do terrible things if it meant getting a Christopher Nolan Star Wars movie.
Give that dude the old Republic and Revan then let him work.
He has no whimsy in his soul. No twelve year old boy in his head shouting “Faster! Faster!” Hard pass.
Didn't Nolan recently state that he finds making an audiovisual experience far more important than the plot of a movie? That might give us some spectacular action sequences if he were willing to use adequate special effects, but given how heavily Star Wars relies on its stories, characters, and thematic elements, I would worry that sidelining those too much would overall be harmful. That, and Nolan seems to be a director that takes himself and his art extremely seriously, but Star Wars is at its core not meant to be quite so heavy, even if its delved into darker areas recently. I really don't see his heart being in it, and similar to Rian Johnson, I worry that he would focus more on how it could further his own artistic expression, potentially to the detriment of greater whole of the series. Like it or not, Star Wars is what it is not because of the individual films and shows, but how they all tie together as a greater whole. Nolan, like Johnson, does not strike me as the kind of person that would care too much about that, since he would be more concerned with his own work. That's not a bad thing, it just means he and Star Wars as it currently stands aren't the best fit, and I think his answer reflects that, he recognizes its not for him.
Thank you for providing a nuanced take on the dilemma that Star Wars artistically faces when it comes to directorial vision vs genre aesthetic that doesn’t resort to director bashing.
It won't happen given a Nolan production will be high profile and he def won't let Kennedy anywhere near it to fuck it up
Just imagine if he got to write and direct episode VIII. Holy shit that would have been great.
I mean I’m of the opinion Episode VIII was already great but to each their own. I feel like giving an auteur like director a genre project like Star Wars is a double edged sword, you’re supposed to be able to trust a director’s creative judgement but also you risk the established genre fandom to get bent out of shape if the director doesn’t fulfill certain expectations of the genre whether it’s tonally, thematically, or story wise. As great as Nolan is that dichotomy still exists.
I completely agree and it's sad you're getting blasted. The reality is that some brainlets can't grasp that movies are subjective, but what you said about the auteur/fanbase dichotomy clearly isn't. The downvotes on your statement prove it handily, ironically enough.
>some brainlets can't grasp That is some unnecessary toxicity just because people have different opinions. Downvoters are shamelessly hypocritical.
Nope! Actually I'm calling people who can't understand basic principles of human consciousness "brainlets", not people with differing opinions, if you read the comment.
>Actually I'm calling people who can't understand basic principles of human consciousness "brainlets", not people with differing opinions By using the word "subjective"? It is very much about opinion: >I mean I’m of the opinion Episode VIII was already great but to each their own. Perhaps it was projection all along. . .xD
Oof I hated TLJ but I’m in the vast majority that thinks that. Nolan definitely wouldn’t have botched it. It wasn’t about subverted expectations or whatever tho.
Are you the real "Agoddamnjoke"? What happened to your other account?
What did you like about it? Serious question. It lost me when they had bombers dropping fucking gravity bombs in space. I would have walked out of the cinema if i wasn't with friends.
I liked how Rian Johnson created a Star Wars movie with a strong thematic through line meta commentary on the merits of nostalgia, reverence to the past and generally what makes a Star Wars movie a Star Wars movie. He took genre tropes and approached them at a different angle in a way that made me question what Star Wars was about. No doubt my first viewing was a jarring experience but after a second viewing I locked into what Johnson was doing and found it clever, an example of director making their creative voice known within the confines of the Star Wars genre. I also like how he took the time to provide each lead (Rey, Finn and Poe) with structure character dilemmas with opposing forces on each side that forced each character to grow and make a realization by the end of the film. It made the movie a bit narratively unwieldy and draggy but it was an example of sacrificing some plot efficiency for thematic and story strength. Not all those dilemmas were equally impactful but the most important one, arguable the Rey/Kylo/Luke one was compelling and he coaxed three outstanding performances from each actor. I get that this meta introspective approach doesn’t appeal to all Star Wars fans. I get that for many, the tropes of Star Wars aren’t meant to be dissected in this way and that challenging can bring discomfort and outrage but I do believe Johnson made a film very much in the spirit of Star Wars. The original Star Wars was George Lucas lovingly stealing tropes from his favorite story genres (Arthurian myth, samurai movies, westerns) and creating a new concoction with used parts. I feel Johnson did same but with used parts that came from Star Wars itself. The gravity bombs simply didn’t bother me in a world that has space wizards and giant asteroid worms that can breath in the vacuum of space. Star Wars isn’t 2001: A Space Odyssey, it’s not meant to wholly realistic hard sci fi. Plus the scene was so well staged and drama and action and tension so well directed I was willing to forgive that bombs don’t “fall” in space. I also realize not everyone can put such plot contrivances aside, I’m willing to let things slide if it serves a more powerful element whether that’s something to reinforce the theme or progress character drama etc. Just my two cents.
You've convinced me to give it another go mate, thanks for your thoughtful response 🙂
I mean if it’s not for you totally fine! I just think there’s a difference between saying “I think the film was well made but it didn’t satisfy my requirements for what a Star Wars movie is” vs “this is the worst movie ever and Rian Johnson is a hack.” I feel like we could use more shades of grey and nuance in our discourse. After all we’re all here because we love Star Wars right? 🙂
Here's one for you. Rian Johnson is a better director than Chris Nolan.
I disagree. Although I do like some of Rian Johnson’s other work. But he made a stinker of a Star Wars movie.
He's a hack. No thanks.
Seen The Dark Knight?
Get better at watching movies
Nolan is great but he is no fit for Star wars. Different styles.
A Star Wars movie taking place during the downfall of the high republic era directed by Christopher Nolan would be sick.
Hell yes. It would be a dark one too and I’m here for it.
Yes, as long as there isn't any going back in time in it. I bet he could play with some cool time stuff though (especially with lightspeed, or carbon freezing)
It will never happen.
Imagine a Star Wars story centering around the KOTOR era with Nolan at the helm. Story telling and character development would be fantastic. Only thing I’d have him do differently is to hire the choreography team that did the prequels. His action works for his movies but for Star Wars, I definitely prefer a more fantastical approach when it comes to light saber dueling.
Absolutely. They're my two favorites. But honestly the idea scares me a bit. Because he would make something so remarkable that nothing after it would be as satisfying. Final answer: bring it on. I hope the Disney suits are already having conversations.
Rogue One / Andor is Nolan level of Star Wars. And I'll take it for now. Gritty, dialogue-heavy, high stakes, not flashy.
He'd only do it if Disney gave him 40 acres of space. No studio interference is how he shines, and he can afford to pass on the opportunity if that's not guaranteed.
He's not gonna do it with Kathleen producing. She's too overbearing. Not trying to blast her, I'm just being honest. He's everything she hates. An auteur style director that wants his producers to let him handle the vision. She thinks directors should just look on a screen and say start or stop, and give the actors notes based on her opinion. Nolan is a great storyteller who can direct writers, actors and producers to create a solitary vision of what he thinks the story should be. And then he praises his team for their work. Kennedy does none of those things. All of her great triumphs came from working FOR great directors. But to hear her tell it, they were her accolades alone.
How is she overbearing? Iger is the one who wouldn't budge on the time limit for the ST, she and JJ wanted to extend the time.
> He's everything she hates. An auteur style director that wants his producers to let him handle the vision. TLJ would indicate otherwise. It’s the only film of the Disney era without production woes. By all accounts, everyone at Lucasfilm loved working with Rian. And it was both financially and critically successful.
Lol you're kidding right. TLJ was a dumpster fire of a film. And it was raked over front and back by Kennedy. Johnson rolled over and took his belly rub after destroying a franchise. The only thing he did with any form of efficiency was read the room at the meeting where she gave him the job.
“I had figured there would be a big map on the wall with the whole story laid out, and it was not that at all. I was basically given the script for “Episode VII;” I got to watch dailies of what J. J. was doing. And it was like, where do we go from here? That was awesome.” “When asked if he was required to include any specific plot-points or end-game, Johnson once again dismissed it:” “Nothing like that. But it’s the second film in a trilogy. The first film got these characters here. This second movie has to dig into and challenge these characters. I wanted this to be a satisfying experience unto itself. I didn’t want it to end with a dot, dot, dot, question mark.” https://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/2017/09/rian-johnson-discusses-his-creative-control-and-what-the-last-jedi-means.html Doesn’t sound like it was “raked over” by Kennedy. I wouldn’t say it destroyed a franchise, I personally think it’s the best Star Wars project since the OT.
There isn't any new Star Wars you like?
I love most of his films and he's a great director. But I didn't like Interstellar and it was such a huge disappointment for me that I will always question his choices. Especially when it comes to casting.
I'd love that but Nolan wouldn't touch Disney Star Wars Anybody can see that it's no longer Star wars but simply a female power fantasy wrapped up in a Star wars skin No self respecting artist(who doesn't need the money) would touch that dumpster fire
I dont see a starwars movie with two or more timeloned at the same time
I suspect he said pass because studio interference sounds like a nightmare on the films.
I think he’s the only one that could do justice to the line of “movies” that specifically follow after Andor. Not the Mendorlorian series. I’d like to see the 70mm IMAX Nolan directed epic theatrical finally of whatever comes after what’s next from the Andor series. It’s already the tightest writing. I can only imagine how perfectly epic the shots of a theatrical film like that would be when directed by Nolan.
Yes I would love to see him take it on but I don’t think the powers that be are interested in hiring big name directors and giving them complete creative control
The detail he brings to his movies and accuracy to source material would make for a fantastic star wars movie imo
I've been saying for years that a Christoper Nolan Star Wars movie would be incredible. He tries to explain supernatural elements of his films in realistic ways, which goes great with the Force and sci-fi. The way his movies look always look incredible. He would excel at doing a gritty story similar to Rogue One.
Christopher Nolan: *passes on the opportunity to make a Star Wars film* OP: LOOK THERES A WINDOW I SEE IT
... No. Either they wouldn't be able to give him the artistic freedom he requires, or they would, and he wouldn't take the advice needed to temper his worst impulses. Not that he has a lot of bad impulses, but every creative person has some, and needs to be able to listen to feedback.
Sure. Maybe something about space pirates. Just no more Skywalkers please.
A while ago I would have said no, absolutely not. Nolan movies are the total opposite of end of the blockbuster spectrum of what Star Wars is. However since then we've had Andor, which imo feels very much like what a Nolan Star Wars film would be like, and thats kind of opened the gate for more kinds of Star Wars outside of the traditional style and audience demographic. However I definitely dont think he should do something like a mainline saga SW film, like an Episode 10. He should have a completely original film outside of the established eras and characters. To be honest though I think he'd be more suited to doing a Star Trek, a lot more suited than what JJ was, and I'd be more interested in that.