As a gamer who grew up with a deep affection for sci-fi and fantasy, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia when reminiscing about the films that shaped my childhood. One such film series is none other than Star Wars, which had me glued to my seat during its initial release. However, after the disappointing turn of events with Return of the Jedi and those darn Ewoks, it seems that legendary director Denis Villeneuve has also lost his faith in this iconic franchise.
Over the past ten years, Denis Villeneuve has taken charge of films like “Arrival”, “Blade Runner 2049” and adaptations of “Dune”, which are considered among the greatest science fiction movies ever made. The director shows no signs of leaving the sci-fi genre behind, as he’s now focusing on a feature film adaptation of “Dune: Messiah”. Unfortunately, for those who were hoping that Villeneuve would also direct one of the upcoming “Star Wars” films, it looks like that won’t be happening.
In an interview on the “The Town” podcast with Matthew Belloni, Denis Villeneuve openly shared that he was the ideal viewer for “Star Wars: A New Hope” when it debuted in 1977, as he was just ten years old then. He further mentioned that “The Empire Strikes Back” was the movie he eagerly awaited the most throughout his life. However, his ardor for a distant galaxy waned with the arrival of “Return of the Jedi,” as Villeneuve explained.
The issue arises from the fact that everything went off track in 1983 with the release of Return of the Jedi. It’s quite a complex story. At the age of 15, my closest companion and I had the impulse to hail a taxi and journey to L.A., with the intention of conversing with George Lucas – we were absolutely furious! To this day, the Ewoks remain a source of frustration for me. It eventually transformed into a children’s comedy, which was not what we had anticipated. Star Wars evolved into its own mythos, becoming quite rigid and formulaic, devoid of any further surprises. Consequently, I harbor no ambition to create a new Star Wars project because it appears the creative process is overly constrained by established rules.
It’s not about Denis Villeneuve having issues with the newer Star Wars movies and Disney+ series. Rather, his discontent with the Star Wars franchise dates back nearly 40 years, stemming from his and a friend’s disappointment in Return of the Jedi, particularly the Ewoks who they found very problematic. Unlike other directors, Villeneuve seems content to avoid delving into the Star Wars universe altogether.
Luckily for Star Wars enthusiasts, there’s an abundance of films in development within the franchise, even though only one has been given an official release date – “The Mandalorian & Grogu” is due out in May 2026. As for the other movies yet to be dated, they include a Rey movie directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a film set during Dave Filoni’s New Republic era, and a movie by James Mangold delving into the dawn of the Jedi and the origins of the Force. It was also recently announced that Simon Kinberg is working on a new Star Wars trilogy, which will be set following “The Rise of Skywalker.
With regards to Denis Villeneuve, his latest film, “Dune: Part Two,” is currently available for streaming on Max, along with its prequel and the new series titled “Dune: Prophecy.” Just last month, the director mentioned that he’s in the process of penning “Dune: Messiah,” which seems to be the major production he has planned for release on December 18, 2026.
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2024-11-28 02:37