"Star Wars" Spin-Off Targets "Godzilla" Director Gareth Edwards

George Huertas ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Things could not be going more swimmingly for director Gareth Edwards. It probably would have been enough for the English-born director to rest on his laurels following the titanic success of this summer’s Godzilla (which has, as of writing, grossed a staggering $112 million domestically in just six days). But the good news keeps rolling in for him.
Edwards has been announced as the director of the upcoming (and as of yet untitled) Star Wars spin-off.
Edwards was quoted saying, “Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited & honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm.”
The film, slated for a December 16, 2016 release, is to be the first of what Disney hopes to be many cinematic spin-offs for the Star Wars universe, a universe that Disney is likely hoping to build to be not unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Much like Star Wars Episode VII director J.J. Abrams, Edwards obviously has a lifelong appreciation for Star Wars, and has stated that that was the movie that made him want to be a filmmaker. With this news it’s clear that the aim that Disney is taking with this franchise is similar to that of the Marvel’s: for fans, by fans.
Obviously, there is still much to be seen for these upcoming films (Star Wars Episode VII has only just begun filming, for instance), but the clear reverence for Star Wars displayed by both Abrams and Edwards leave much room for optimism. Personally, I can’t wait to see what these filmmakers can do with that galaxy far, far away.