By George & Josh Bate
Just days after the news of a Steven Soderbergh-directed Ben Solo movie broke the internet, reports have surfaced that another high-profile director recently circled a project in a galaxy far, far away.
As reported by journalist Jeff Sneider, David Fincher had discussions with Lucasfilm about helming a new Star Wars film set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. The story would have followed a character from the sequel trilogy, although it is unclear which one.
Fincher is one of the industry’s most acclaimed directors, having helmed Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac, Mindhunter, and numerous other renowned works.
Unfortunately, the film did not come to fruition as Lucasfilm and Fincher disagreed on Fincher’s request to have final cut on the film. Big name directors like Fincher often seek final cut as they want to avoid studio interference in order to retain their artistic vision. Lucasfilm, however, presumably wanted the film to stay within the confines of their franchise and avoid another Solo: A Star Wars Story situation. Fincher, meanwhile, is no stranger to studio interference given the tumultuous production of Alien 3.
Interestingly, this is not Fincher’s first foray into the Star Wars franchise. Fincher served as an assistant cameraman for ILM on Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Years later, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy produced Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm and initiated the development of the sequel trilogy, David Fincher was one of the names considered to direct at least one installment in the trilogy.
It’s certainly interesting to consider what a David Fincher-directed Star Wars movie would have looked like. Fincher is known primarily for his dark themes and psychological suspense, both of which would have been interesting to see applied to a Star Wars story.
The news that both Fincher and Steven Soderbergh were once considered to direct a post-Episode IX story also sheds some light on Lucasfilm’s behind-the-scenes thought processes about Star Wars movies. The sequel trilogy, while beloved by many, left others disappointed. However, there was a lot of potential left for characters like Rey, Ben Solo, and others, as the likes of Fincher and Soderbergh clearly noted. Currently, Lucasfilm has at least three projects in development that take place after The Rise of Skywalker: Starfighter, New Jedi Order, and Simon Kinberg’s trilogy. Clearly, the studio is invested in exploring the galaxy after the Battle of Exegol, which may just open the door for Fincher and Soderbergh’s projects to resurface.