A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay reveals she would not be interested in helming a future Star Wars movie. While Lucasfilm has brought back the galaxy far, far away with three consecutive $1 billion hits, the franchise is not beyond criticism. In the wake of Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss developing their own series of Star Wars films, many bemoaned the fact the movies are predominantly spearheaded by white men. Recently, there's been a call for more diversity in front of and behind the camera, injecting fresh perspectives in these long-running properties.
A popular pick to call the shots on Star Wars is Ava DuVernay, who is part of the Disney family with this week's Wrinkle in Time. She even offered some insight to J.J. Abrams during Force Awakens post-production, so at least on the surface, she seemed to be a logical choice. However, if Kathleen Kennedy came calling with an offer, DuVernay would probably turn it down.
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On Twitter, a moviegoer praised A Wrinkle in Time's visuals and message, saying the fantasy film should be more than enough to put DuVernay on Lucasfilm's radar. Responding to the positive reaction, DuVernay herself took her name out of the running.
It's easy for fans to campaign for their dream tentpole hires, but reality is a little more complex than that. Some directors just aren't interested in franchise filmmaking. DuVernay previously turned down Marvel's Black Panther, concerned that it wouldn't "be an Ava DuVernay film" if he had to compromise her vision too much to align with the MCU. It appears she would rather develop her own projects that do not have to fit in a larger sandbox, which is a more than respectable path to follow. And this isn't anything out of the ordinary for the industry. A number of DuVernay's contemporaries like Edgar Wright and Jordan Peele are similar in their tastes and sensibilities. DuVernay also told Collider she would not be interested in Star Wars or Marvel.
Lucasfilm has a rather infamous reputation in regards to their relationship with directors, providing DuVernay with more evidence that the galaxy isn't right for her. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see what she chooses to make next. Early reactions to Wrinkle in Time were somewhat mixed, but people were still quick to praise DuVernay's ambition for tackling this kind of material in the first place. Through her career, she's shown she can work with mid-budget character dramas (Selma) and larger tentpole-esque fare, so she shouldn't have any issues finding her next film.
MORE: First A Wrinkle In Time Reactions Are Very Mixed
Source: Ava DuVernay, Collider
