Denis Villeneuve Reveals Why He’s Not Interested in Directing a ‘Star Wars’ Movie

Denis Villeneuve is earning widespread acclaim for his work on the Dune franchise, but the Canadian filmmaker has long been a heavyweight in the sci-fi genre, known for his unique voice and uncompromising vision. With his iconic status, many fans have hoped to see him tackle a Star Wars movie, especially given how brilliantly he handled Dune.

However, it seems Villeneuve has no interest in directing a Star Wars film. Speaking with Matthew Belloni, Villeneuve shared his connection to the Star Wars franchise and revealed the bitter disappointment that shaped his decision to stay away from it.

When the original Star Wars movie was released, it had a slow start but overcame early challenges to become a classic, quickly propelling George Lucas to stardom. Denis Villeneuve shared that he was a big fan of the series as a child, with a particular love for The Empire Strikes Back, widely regarded as the best installment in the franchise.

Given his admiration and stature as a filmmaker, you might think Villeneuve would jump at the chance to work on a Star Wars project. But surprisingly, he has no interest. Why? As Villeneuve explained in a recent podcast, it all goes back to a personal grudge dating to 1983. Here’s what he revealed:

I was the target audience, I was ten years old, it went to my brain like a silver bullet, I became obsessed with Star Wars. I mean, The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that I anticipated the most in my life . I saw the movie a billion times on screen, I was traumatized by The Empire Strikes Back.

I adore Star Wars, the problem is that it all derailed in 1983 with Return of the Jedi … I was 15 years old, my best friend and I wanted to take a cab, go to LA and talk to George Lucas. We were so angry. Still today, the Ewoks… it turned out to be a comedy for kids …

I thought that Star Wars became crystallized in its own mythology , very dogmatic, it seemed like a recipe, no more surprises. So I’m not dreaming to do a Star Wars, the code is very codified.

Source: The Town podcast

It’s not too surprising, as many fans were unhappy with the introduction of the Ewoks when they first appeared. Similar to the backlash against Jar-Jar Binks in the Prequel Trilogy, the Ewoks were criticized for lowering the franchise’s tone. For Villeneuve, this disappointment ran so deep that it ultimately turned him off from working on Star Wars entirely. It’s unfortunate, as his unique vision could have been a much-needed breath of fresh air for a franchise that has faced its share of struggles in recent years.

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