Gareth Edwards to direct standalone STAR WARS film for 2016

It’s one thing to make a debut film, but an entirely different matter to make a movie with a massive budget and legacy attached to it. Gareth Edwards has recently been in just such a category, with his big budget Godzilla flick smashing the box office. And if you were keen on seeing a sequel, you might have to wait a few years for more Godzilla. Because Edwards will be directing a Star Wars film first.

THR broke the news of the hiring, with Star Wars.com adding the following info to the announcement:

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 Whittas 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.”

So who will Edwards be directing a film about then? If you ignore his Rebel Alliance statement which could hint at a Rogue Squadron movie, then I’d love to see his take on a Boba Fett film which would finally give the best bounty hunter in the biz the respect that he deserves.  This project however, pushes the Legendary plans for two Godzilla sequels to around 2018 at the earliest. Still, credit where credit is due, as Legendary offered the following bit of support for the now popular director:

Gareth’s filmmaking talent makes him one of his generation’s most creative and visionary directors. The plan has always been for Gareth to direct a different film before we started on another Godzilla, but who knew it would a Star Wars installment? We have a great plan in store for Godzilla fans and I am looking forward to seeing Gareth’s imprint on the Star Wars universe.

Last Updated: May 23, 2014