Star Wars Standalone Director Chosen

The director for the upcoming Star Wars standalone feature has now been chosen, and it is Godzilla director, Gareth Edwards. Also, the release date is set to be December 16, 2016, and Gary Whitta is signed on to write the script. My initial reaction is skepticism with a touch of optimism. Providing the new standalone is not about a young Han Solo or Yoda, I am mostly OK with the standalone films considering how well Disney has handled the Marvel movies. Right now, a Boba Fett movie set not long after Episode VI would be great, because no, Boba did not die in the Sarlacc Pit, or even a movie set sometime in-between the other movies with him being a bada** bounty hunter anti-hero. However, my preferred standalone film would be an Old Republic one. As for the talent behind it, Edwards seems to be an odd choice. While I have no intention of seeing the recent Godzilla in theaters, the general opinion is that it is good, but not great, and the human story is serviceable for a monster movie, but still clichéd. Star Wars is a very character driven franchise, and getting the characters right is the most important and I am not sure if he can do it. On the other hand, the Russo Brothers, who have only directed comedy beforehand, directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and it turned out to be one of the best movies ever, so a director’s background is not necessarily the most important thing. Screenwriter Gary Whitta is another odd choice considering that he has written the critically panned After Earth and the forgettable Book of Eli. On the positive side, he has written for the Walking Dead video game and the TV series, and considering how effective the video game and TV series can be at creating characters that the audience can connect with, maybe he is the right choice. Another interesting part of the announcement is the December release date. With Disney dominating the summers with the stellar Marvel movies, maybe they are trying to take over the Christmas season with the Hobbit coming to a close later this year. What do you think of this? Please comment below and let me know, and please check back Monday for the beginning of my Top 100 Movies of All-Time list.

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