Guillermo del Toro will not direct "Star Wars VII"

The director is the latest to have passed on Disney's controversial project

Published January 7, 2013 4:46PM (EST)

The number of prominent Hollywood directors willing to take on Disney's controversial project "Star Wars: Episode VII" is quickly falling. "Star Trek's" J.J. Abrams and "Mission Impossible's" Brad Bird took themselves out of the running since Disney made the announcement this past fall, as have Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino and Zack Snyder. Now, Guillermo del Toro, known for "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Hellboy," has reportedly passed on the role as well. The director told the Playlist, "It was just a phone call, it didn't go past that, it was very nice to be asked, but believe it or not, I'm busy enough. It was very flattering." He added, "I think the fans deserve somebody that is just going to immerse themselves completely. As a geek, I would have loved to see Brad Bird take it."

But as Salon notes, there are still plenty of directors who could be considered and might be able to do the film justice, including Joss Whedon, Christopher Nolan and David Fincher. In the meantime, you can probably stay tuned for more announcements of who the director for "Star Wars" will not be.


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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Disney Film George Lucas Hollywood Movies Star Wars Star Wars 7