When the director’s chair was still open for ‘Star Wars: Episode VII,’ it looked as if Brad Bird (‘The Incredibles’,’Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’) had been in the running to take it on. Instead, he actually turned down working on what will be one of the biggest films of the decade. With his geeky nature and previous work as a Pixar collaborator, Bird was on the short list to helm the film, but it just wasn’t meant to be. What ended up to be the deciding fact for him to turn down the ‘Star Wars’ gig? It all boiled down to his upcoming film ‘Tomorrowland.’
Early on it looked like Bird would end up being able to do both ‘Tomorrowland’ and ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’.’ However, it soon became obvious that it just was not meant to be. As Bird explains “For a moment there I thought it would work out to do this and go right into it, and it wouldn’t work. There was no way to make that schedule and give this film the attention it deserved. I know it’s going to be terrific and everything, but I’m really happy to do this film. It’s rare to do a film of size that’s original.”
So yes, he had George Clooney already signed on to do ‘Tomorrowland’ and a contract with Disney to do it. I’m sure they wouldn’t have wanted their director bailing on one project to do another. Fortunately with a ‘Star Wars‘ movie a year being planned much like the way that Marvel Studios is doing things, I have no doubt we’ll see him directing one of the future installments into the franchise.
Now when it comes to massive blockbusters, I have no doubt that ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ will end up trampling ‘Tomorrowland’ at the box office. I want to see both and think they’ll both end up as quality films but let’s be honest, it’s ‘Star Wars.’
You can check out the interview entirely below:
What do you think about Bird’s choices on which movie to tackle? Do you think that he made the right choice with doing ‘Tomorrowland’ or would you have rather seen him do ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’?
‘Tomorrowland’ Synopsis:
Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.
Directed by Brad Bird, ‘Tomorrowland’ hits theaters on May 22, 2015.
Source: MTV
