Who should take over 'Star Wars: Episode IX' directing duties?

With Colin Trevorrow out over 'creative difficulties', who should take over the final installment of the new Star Wars trilogy?

Rian Johnson

The obvious choice, so it seems, since by all accounts The Last Jedi has pleased producers, it's going to be a financial hit no matter what, and there's been loads of hype around what he's done on Episode VIII. I'd say based on his previous cinematic work, which has always been solid to very good (Brick, Looper), and his ability to handle a breathtaking climax as evidenced in 'Ozymandias' in Breaking Bad, those along signal him to be a deft hand for the final installment. Whether he'll have enough energy after what must've been a strenuous production process is another matter.

Neill Blomkamp 

Maybe if Johnson just decides to work on the script, he'll find a perfect partner to direct in Blomkamp. District 9 is a science-fiction masterpiece, and though his subsequent films have suffered from an overwriting of themes, underwritten characters, and bland dialogue, this would be rectified if he focused primarily on just directing a great film. He might not work all that well within the constraints of Lucasfilm, though.

Bong Joon-ho

Okja and Snowpiercer have shown that Bong's distinctive style translates very well over to America. He might be too risky a move due to his very unique voice, but it could be a great film in his hands. I doubt he'd want to rush into production though, and would also want to add his own little touches into the script beforehand, but is that such a bad thing? I think not.

Guillermo del Toro

Will never happen since he'll most likely get into some sort of conflict regarding the time frame of filming, but del Toro is a visionary unlike any other nowadays, whose visual style is one of a kind. A Star Wars film directed by him would probably cost a boatload of money, more so than the norm, but would undoubtedly a feast for the eyes, and if we're looking at peak del Toro, with more than enough heart.

Gareth Evans
Not to be confused with Gareth Edwards. The Raid is a great example of a film that does so much world building and emotional investment on the go, through just the escalating tension and stakes throughout. Given that I expect The Last Jedi to have fully fleshed out most of the character dynamics and interactions, and plot developments to have fully kicked into motion, it might be a good idea to get a director who can propel these established aspects into a action-packed and suitably emotional finale.

Ang Lee

His last venture into blockbuster territory in Hulk wasn't terribly succesful, but I do think Ang Lee has it in him to make a great big budget, wide-appeal film. What's certainly unquestionable about Lee's talent is that he's one of the most versatile directors alive, able to do everything from Jane Austen period drama, to a martial arts drama, to a repressed family drama, to a Western romance, to a character study of a boy and a tiger. He can do it all, and that would mould him well into the Star Wars vision. He'd be flexible enough to Lucasfilm's demands while managing to find his own voice within these terms and conditions.

Sam Raimi

An extremely unlikely choice given that his last blockbuster, Oz The Great and the Powerful was a bit of a misfire, and he's probably grown a bit disillusioned with working alongside big studios. But hey - the man reinvented a lot of things about blockbuster filmmaking with his first two Spider-Man films, and if they give him enough creative control I can see him crafting a special final installment.

Mel Gibson

An extremely unlikely choice given the likely controversy, as well as the man's own renowned dislike of big-budget Hollywood stuff. But Gibson is a great director who's best talent is bringing his films epic grandeur and epic closure. That sort of talent would seem fitting to Episode IX.

Brad Bird

He's going to be way too busy with The Incredibles 2 (and rightly so - we've been waiting for ages). Without taking that into consideration, he seems like the perfect choice for a Star Wars movie as he's so good at making just plain entertaining, crowd-pleasing and high quality blockbusters.

Taika Waititi

Looks like Thor: Ragnorak is going to be a delight to watch, and also shows that Waititi's impressed Hollywood enough that they've allowed him to work on his own sort of thing with their budgets. He's probably going to want to go back to his indie roots for a while after this, but if not, there's a job slot opening mate.

David McKenzie

And for a decidedly more leftfield choice, we have David McKenzie. The only films I've seen of his are Starred Up and Hell or High Water. Both a very good films, and show a director who knows how to let his actors thrive, and let the story flow very well through the visuals. I can imagine him perhaps being slightly daunted by the scale of Star Wars, but I'd really love to see if he can handle it.

Ava Duvernay

Well, she has A Wrinkle in Time as a trial run for Disney if she really wants to do their next big project. I think she'll probably want to stick to making her more smaller-scale and socially conscious features, which is fine since she's great at that (Selma is excellent). But I would definitely like to see her Star Wars if A Wrinkle in Time proves to be a hit and crowd pleaser.

Michael Mann

It seems like ages since the last time Mann made a good, let alone great film. I don't exactly know how well his style would translate to a space opera, but it'd be interesting to see at the very least.

Kathryn Bigelow

Yeah, I know I've been mentioning her name A LOT lately, and this is highly unlikely. And honestly, the film most suited to her talents would've probably been Rogue One. But hey, she's solidified herself as one of the best directors nowadays, and I'd dig how she'd take on a huge blockbuster franchise.

David Lynch 

This will never happen. But holy smokes, imagine if Lynch suddenly decided he wanted to make a Star Wars film? I can see it now - Oscar Isaac lip-syncing and dancing to the Cantina song with lyrics dedicated to the fallen Han Solo, while Adam Driver tearfully glowers nearby. Among other things.

Jim Jarmusch

Okay. No. Never, you say. But if you've seen Paterson and seen what a harmonious team Adam Driver and Jarmusch make, surely you wouldn't be averse to a final installment involving Kylo Ren driving around in a podracer, writing Force poetry, and living a quiet life away from all the chaos of the galaxy far, far away.