Hey folks, Harry here... Lucasfilm just released this statement from Josh Trank, who was set to direct the STAR WARS ANTHOLOGY film set for 2018:
“After a year of having the incredible honor of developing with the wonderful and talented people at Lucasfilm, I’m making a personal decision to move forward on a different path. I’ve 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 couldn’t be more excited to witness its future alongside my millions of fellow Star Wars fans. I want to thank my friends Kathleen Kennedy, Kiri Hart, Simon Kinberg, and everyone at Lucasfilm and Disney for the amazing opportunity to have been a part of this. May the Force be with you all.”
Now, The Hollywood Reporter is floating rumors of dissatisfaction from Writer/Producer Simon Kinberg, with working with Trank on the FANTASTIC FOUR movie... but that's probably going to be a trashed rumor once the Junket for FANTASTIC FOUR gets going... Instead, I'd rather take Trank on his word to create something original, after his first grueling big budget production. I know when Guillermo Del Toro was getting his feet beneath him as a director, he would alternate one big Studio film, then one intimate project for his own soul. Not that he didn't like making the big films, he just felt like many directors, that having complete freedom. Especially when an Artist is young in his career.
Many filmmakers are like us, wanting to create new visions unlike the things we already know. Those are typically very hard to birth, because financing for large scale visions have been shrunk due to MARKET ANALYSIS by number crunchers. Which is why, when a big original film hits, it is important to support it. The only odd thing about the statement from Trank is the absence of Lawerence Kasdan's name, who was reportedly one of the writers on the project!
Right now, we only really have CHRONICLE to judge Josh Trank with. I continue to love that film. FANTASTIC FOUR - Fox has a history of not understanding very well. When listening to Trank's statements about the film, his Amblin/Cronenberg desire - it makes me quite curious. We'll see.
Keep it cool,
Harry
