Ava DuVernay Says She Isn’t Doing ‘Star Wars’ – That’s Probably A Good Thing
(Welcome toThe Soapbox, the space where we get loud, feisty, political, and opinionated about anything and everything. In this edition: why it’s a good thing that director Ava DuVernay says she’s not making a Star Wars movie.)Star Warsfans are ready for change.
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe boldly enters its latest stage, handing its major franchise staples to black auteurs and New Zealand comedians, it’s become somewhat apparent that Lucasfilm is holding back. Their latest slate of behind-the-scenes announcements and rumors – that theGame of Thronesguys arewriting a new series, that Stephen Daldrymight directan Obi Wan standalone – feel as by-the-numbers as you can get. After the production kerfuffles withRogue Oneand the upcomingSolo, maybe it’s just insurance; a “let’s hire the industry guys with safe track records so we can stay on schedule” ideology. But that safety net approach has the fans concerned. By avoiding potential risks, are we in danger of a roster of bland lookalikes that keep the series chugging along but never grow it in new directions? This is a galaxy far, far away, let’s not forget. Isn’t it time to get weird?
For a lot of us, potential relief came in the form of directorAva DuVernay, who’s been long-rumored to be next in line for aStar Warsproject. But DuVernay crushed hearts on Twitter today when she announced that she isn’t, in fact, doing aStar Warsfilm, telling fans that the series “is not for me.”
DuVernay is currently promoting her latest film,A Wrinkle in Time, a kid-focused sci-fi epic produced by Disney, the same company that owns Lucasfilm.Wrinkleseemed like a test run for aStar Warsfilm: big visuals, big concepts, adventure, space. Now, it appears it was merely a director taking the natural next step in her career, with no specific road map of where to go next.
The news that she’s not gunning for aStar Warsflick is admittedly disappointing. Outside of being a talented director with a unique voice, DuVernay is also an exciting vessel for change: She’s openly communicative on Twitter, she’s socially conscious, she’s dedicated to empowering women and black children. She would imbue aStar Warsmovie with a genuine message of perseverance and imagination, two hallmarks of the beloved franchise.
But there’s also a sense of optimism in her declaration. Let’s examine it from both sides.
DuVernay’s History With Star Wars
The first real campaign for DuVernay to direct Star Wars came after J.J. Abramsconfirmed in a commentary trackforThe Force Awakensthat theSelmadirector helped him with a key scene in his film’s final lightsaber battle.
“I also showed this film, an early cut, to my friend Ava DuVernay, and she had a bunch of great suggestions,” Abrams said. “One of them was that she really wanted to see Daisy [Ridley], in her attack on [Kylo] Ren, have one really cool moment.”
That moment is a close-up shot of Rey with her saber, face twisted in anger, ready to strike down the villainous Kylo. Abrams is right: it’s a great, character-focused moment that shows off DuVernay’s particular attention to emotion, a quality sometimes lacking from Disney-eraStar Warsfilms.
Abrams continued his praise of DuVernay, citing her as his pick for a Star Wars director. “One name that immediately comes to mind is Ava DuVernay, who I thought did just a mind-blowingly great job withSelma,” hetold Yahooback in 2015. “And getting to know her a little since that movie… she is such a fan of genre films and storytelling.”
Abrams' continued push seemed to indicate that DuVernay was at least interested in the idea of directingStar Wars, and fans ran away with it. She popped up ona numberofdesired director lists(includingone I wrote), and eveninspired a petition. She didn’t do much to dispel the rumors,tweeting out little winksthat hinted something was maybe in the works.
This is Disappointing, But It’s a Good Thing
All of that Abrams-induced fuel had fan expectations high. But they were always a little premature. DuVernay never officially stated her interest in franchise filmmaking, andA Wrinkle in Timestill hasn’t come out; most us don’t know her chops as a sci-fi/fantasy director, since her previous works are in the documentary and historical drama realm. That doesn’t mean sheisn’tcapable, and other non-genre directors have been handedStar Warsprojects, but it also doesn’t guarantee her success.
The real disappointment comes from Lucasfilm’s continued trajectory of only hiring white men in major filmmaking roles. They could really use a shake-up in that department, and DuVernay wouldn’t just be some diversity quota; her last feature,Selma, was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. She’s a quality director and a quality voice, and brings with her a certain level of prestige.
But ultimately what it comes down to is her own interest. Her tweet today indicates thatStar Warsisn’t where her heart is, after all. Perhaps she doesn’t want to get lost inStar Wars' troubled production web. Or maybe she wants to create her own unique properties outside of franchise juggernauts. Whatever the case, as fans, we should respect her decision to steer clear of projects that don’t interest her. Who knows? Instead of making the nextStar Wars, maybe she’ll make her ownStar Wars– a new, singular world that can inspire the next generation of genre filmmakers.
