5 Directors Who Should Lead the Next Generation of 'Star Wars' Movies

OK, so Star Wars: Episode VII is happening. It's a real thing now. I remember reading an article in Disney Adventures magazine when I was kid where George Lucas referenced a trilogy made up of Episode VII, Episode VIII and Episode IX, but for years now, the director denied that a third Star Wars trilogy would ever happen. Well, with Disney buying Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Episode VII is coming to theaters in 2015. We're just missing any idea of what the story will be, who will be cast in the movie and who will replace Lucas as the franchise's director.

I'm going to to eliminate a few candidates right now. After wrapping up his Dark Knight Trilogy, Christopher Nolan is going to spend some time working on projects of his own. Cross him off your lists. Same thing with Peter Jackson. He's spend too much time in Middle Earth to want to journey to a galaxy far, far away. I'm sure Kevin Smith would love to get his hands on a Star Wars movie, but he's too cynical. Let's keep him away. Also, do not let Andy and Lana Wachowski anywhere near Star Wars. The Matrix sequels, Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas are more than enough evidence that the siblings are washed up. After hitting a home run with The Avengers, fanboys are clamoring for a Joss Whedon-directed Star Wars movie, but that's the problem. He hit a home run with The Avengers, and he's going to be busy with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for awhile. And finally, Ben Affleck might get to direct an alien of his own (Superman) in Justice League, but he's firmly in the Warner Bros. camp.

This director has to be someone who has proven that they have vision, that they can bring something new to the big screen. They can't be too big, though, as Disney's already proven with the Marvel Cinematic Universe that they're not going to bring in a Steven Spielberg-level director. So who should direct Star Wars: Episode VII then? Here are five picks to lead the next generation of Star Wars movies.

Darren Aronofsky
What you know him from: The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan

OK, so it would appear that I've already broken my "they can't be too big" rule with Darren Aronofsky, but hear me out for a second. Before Nolan reinvented Batman with Batman Begins, Aronofsky was pretty deep into delivering a Batman: Year One adaption. In fact, the director was actually the guy who first approached Christian Bale about playing Bruce Wayne. Aronofsky was also the original director for The Wolverine, the upcoming X-Men installment, before stepping down since he didn't want to be away from his family. Aronofsky clearly has an interest in putting his mark on a tentpole film — he just hasn't found the right one to hang onto yet.

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Neill Blomkamp
What you know him from: District 9

Experience with aliens? Check. Neill Blomkamp doesn't have an extensive résumé, delivering only District 9 and the upcoming Elysium. That doesn't mean the director hasn't shown that he knows how to deliver exciting sci-fi. In fact, Blomkamp appears to understand the idea of a used universe (dirty, lived-in spaceships just like the original Star Wars trilogy had) better than Lucas did with the Prequel Trilogy. There was also a time when Blomkamp was signed on to direct a Halo film. The film, which would have been produced by Jackson, fell apart, but there's your proof right there that someone has already envisioned Blomkamp directing a movie about a war set in space.

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Alfonso Cuaron
What you know him from: Y Tu Mamá También, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men

Looking at his résumé, you can see that Alfonso Cuaron can do it all. Indie movies like Y Tu Mamá También. Blockbuster sequels like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Smart, gritty science fiction movies like Children of Men. Cuaron's contribution to the Harry Potter franchise is widely recognized as the moment those movies stopped being simple adaptions of the books and started being serious films. If Star Wars wants to take full advantage of this chance to redeem itself from the poorly received Prequel Trilogy, Cuaron knows how to kick a franchise up to a higher notch.

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Rian Johnson
What you know him from: Looper

If you haven't seen Looper yet, bookmark this article, leave your house and head to the nearest movie theater and watch Looper. OK, now that you're back, let's talk about why Rian Johnson is the right guy to direct Star Wars: Episode VII. Looper is one of the most original, creative and exciting science-fiction movies to be released in probably a decade. He's a fresh talent who both understands the importance of story and character development and has proven himself to be quite skilled when it comes to making the most of a special effects budget. Imagine what he could do on a Star Wars movie when backed with Disney money.

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Duncan Jones
What you know him from: Moon, Source Code

I have no idea why Duncan Jones doesn't currently have his next project lined up. The guy is two-for-two when it comes to directing fantastic movies. Moon should've been nominated for a bunch of Oscars a few years ago, but sadly went unnoticed by the Academy. Source Code took what could have been a simple concept and turned it into a film that deserves repeat viewings. Jones was on Warner Bros.' shortlist to direct Man of Steel, losing out to Zach Snyder, so handing him the keys to the Star Wars universe wouldn't be a ridiculous idea.