Before you stand up and cheer, or hide your face and cry (depending on how you feel about the on and off filmmaker), let me just clarify one thing: Zack Snyder is not directing Star Wars: Episode VII. He will be taking on an entry in the Star Wars universe, but it will not be Episode VII. Instead, he’s working on a standalone Star Wars film which is said to be inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and will deal with a group of Jedi warriors who set out on a mission.
To be clear, this will not be a numbered film but it will be set “sometime post–Episode VI events.” LucasFilm hasn’t offered up any confirmation just yet but considering Vulture is the one breaking the news, I’d say that it’s probably true.
It makes sense too seeing as George Lucas has said in the past the Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is one of his favorite films and that it has influenced Star Wars greatly. That, coupled with the fact that Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that they plan to release a new Star Wars film every two to three years, lends even more credence to this news.
Seeing as Snyder’s film will run parallel to Star Wars: Episode VII, it doesn’t seem like it will bridge anything, so for now, I’m thinking more along the lines of a spin-off. It should also be clear that the original story only says Snyder is developing the film, meaning that he may not direct. Considering Disney isn’t looking to get started on this until after Star Wars: Episode VII goes into production, it may be a while before we hear more news.
For me at least, this is pretty exciting stuff. Love him or hate him, Snyder is an interesting director who could lend a lot to the Star Wars series. And the fact that this will essentially be a remake of a classic film like Seven Samurai has us even more intrigued. Granted, Kurosawa’s film has been remade and ripped off countless times but a remake set in the Star Wars universe? Now that’s something worth looking forward to.
What do you think? Is Zack Snyder getting in over his head? Are you excited to see a Seven Samurai remake set in the Star Wars universe? Let us know in the comments below.