Gareth Edwards to direct STAR WARS spinoff
Gareth Edwards has had a meteoric rise. Starting off in TV then moving to Monsters, an amazing indie monster movie, to Godzilla (a film with a colossal budget), and now he is set to direct the first Star Wars spinoff. The spinoff will feature a screenplay penned by Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) and will arrive in theaters on December 16, 2016!
Official Press Release:
In addition to the episodes of a new “Star Wars” trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney have begun development on multiple stand-alone movies that will offer new stories beyond the core Saga. Gareth Edwards will direct the first stand-alone film, with a screenplay by Gary Whitta. The film is due out December 16, 2016.
Gareth Edwards blazed into the filmmaking forefront with his acclaimed work on “Monsters,” a film he wrote, directed and served on as cinematographer and visual effects artist. The skill and vision readily apparent in “Monsters” earned him the high-profile spot directing this year’s smash hit “Godzilla”.
“Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited & honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm, said Edwards.
Gary Whitta’s screenwriting credits include 2010s “The Book of Eli” starring Denzel Washington. He is also well known as a journalist and editor in the video game industry, as well as part of the BAFTA award-winning team on Telltale Games adaptation of “The Walking Dead”.
Whitta states, “From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, “Star Wars” has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer. It is deeply special to me,so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a film-maker as talented as Gareth,is literally a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.”
It looks like Edwards won’t be directing the Godzilla sequel, but that is okay with me. I think he’s a great choice to direct a Star Wars movie. I loved what he did with Godzilla, so this should definitely be interesting. We will keep you posted on this story as more news develops.
What do you think of Gareth Edwards directing the Star Wars spinoff?
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