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The internet world was all abuzz yesterday with reports that Zack Snyder, director of ‘300’ and ‘Man of Steel,’ would be involved in developing a spinoff ‘Star Wars’ movie. But just like fans who were hoping for something special when hearing about ‘Star Wars: Episodes I-III,’ this news fell flat. Or did it?

Vulture had originally reported that Snyder had been tapped to do a stand-alone film that would be within the ‘Star Wars’ universe and set after ‘Episode VI’ but in the same timeframe as ‘Episodes VII, VIII  and IX.’ Even more exciting was that the film would be loosely based on the classic Akira Kurosawa 1954 film ‘Seven Samurai,’ with “the ronin and katana being replaced by the Force-wielding knights and their iconic lightsabers.”  (On a side note, if you haven’t seen ‘Seven Samaurai’ I highly suggest it!  The film is about a village that hires seven master-less samurai to protect them from marauding bandits who plan on returning to raid them again after the harvest. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Hollywood did a revised Western gun slinger version of the film with Yul Brynner called ‘The Magnificent Seven.’) Furthermore, Snyder’s ‘Star Wars’ movie would be slated to begin production after “Disney starts on its planned 2015 release of Star Wars: Episode VII.” Could this be the spin-off film that Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg was supposedly hired to write?

As wonderful as this news had sounded, and before too much speculation could transpire, the rumor was quickly squashed by a spokesperson for Snyder who told THR:

“While he is super flattered because he is a huge fan, Zack is not involved in any way with the new Star Wars. He is currently in post on his two films, Man of Steel and 300: Battle of Artemisia.”

That statement pretty much put a damper on any possibility that Snyder would be involved in any type of ‘Star Wars’ project.

One would think that this would be the end of the story, but after THR reported their news, Vulture was quick to update their original posting:

“Vulture takes the accuracy of its reports very seriously. And while a piece published in The Hollywood Reporter this evening quotes Snyder’s rep as saying that the director “is not involved in any way with the new Star Wars,” Vulture stands by its story. This reporter heard through a source very familiar with the situation that Snyder recently flew up to Marin County to meet with Lucasfilm execs about the project. When subsequently reached by Vulture, Snyder’s spokesperson would only repeat that he “is” not currently involved. One should note the possible political ramifications here of our original story break: Snyder’s last Warner Bros. film, Sucker Punch, lost millions for the studio, and execs there could have become distressed at the idea of him getting involved with another studio’s franchise when they have so much at stake with their upcoming Man of Steel and want him available for an immediate sequel.”

So was the statement Snyder’s people released a PR spin? Is there really going to be a ‘Star Wars’ spin-off but not exactly as Vulture had stated? Did Snyder not want Warner Bros to know he was talking to Disney about a franchise that may take him out of future ‘Man of Steel’ films? We’ll just have to wait and see as clearly this is a story that is still being played out.

Regardless, the thought of Zack Snyder involved in a spin-off ‘Star Wars’ film with new Jedi hired to help in the form of ‘Seven Samarai’ sounds like an incredible film to be made, don’t you think?