Disney may not be providing any new footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens at their D23 Expo, but who needs it when they're revealing so much more? Not only is there an amazing new poster from Drew Struzan to drool over, but Lucasfilm's panel kicked off with an announcement many were expecting, that Jurassic World's Colin Trevorrow will be directing Star Wars: Episode IX.
The rumor first emerged a few days before Comic-Con, and it was interesting because Trevorrow had been one of the top picks to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Instead he went on to helm Jurassic World, and the rest is $1B history. Here's the statement from Lucasfilm courtesy of StarWars.com:
Today at D23, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn announced that writer-director Colin Trevorrow will direct Star Wars: Episode IX, which is set for release in 2019. Star Wars: Episode IX will conclude the third trilogy of Star Wars movies that begins with Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 18, 2015.
While production won’t begin for a few years, Trevorrow is heading to Lucasfilm this year to begin working with artists and his fellow Star Wars directors. “Colin is someone I’ve been interested in working with ever since I saw Safety Not Guaranteed,” says Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. “The power of that film paired with the enormous success of Jurassic World speaks volumes about his abilities both as a storyteller and skilled filmmaker. We are thrilled to have such an incredible talent as Colin join our family and step into the Star Wars universe.”
And Trevorrow had a few things to say about the announcement, as well:
"This is not a job or an assignment. It is a seat at a campfire, surrounded by an extraordinary group of storytellers, filmmakers, artists and craftspeople. We’ve been charged with telling new stories for a younger generation because they deserve what we all had—a mythology to call their own. We will do this by channeling something George Lucas instilled in all of us: boundless creativity, pure invention and hope."
