In news that will make millions of sci-fi fans yell out the way millions of Alderaanians did before being silenced by the Death Star, director Guillermo Del Toro turned down the opportunity to direct Star Wars: Episode VII.
Cinema news site The Playlist has been following developments on the sequel since it was announced and broke the story yesterday. The tapatio-born director, famous for films Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy and others, originally claimed two months ago that he was never approached by Lucasfilm and that all speculation about a possibility in a director’s chair on a Star Wars set were simply rumors. “[I]t’s like thinking if I want to date a supermodel,” he said. “I don’t think about these things.”
Well, something happened between now and then as GdT has now confirmed he turned down the job! Screen Crush quoted the director saying, “It was just a phone call, it didn’t go past that, it was very nice to be asked, but believe it or not, I’m busy enough.” This isn’t the first time he’s turned down a high-profile job. GdT accepted a job directing The Hobbit prequels but turned that job down months later to focus on his personal projects. We ain’t mad though. Toro’s personal projects (Pan’s Labyrinth) are better than other properties he works on (Hellboy). Still though, it would’ve been great to see what type of space- and jedi-battles he would’ve envisioned.