Although it was revealed nearly a year ago that Chronicle director Josh Trank would be helming the second Star Wars Anthology film, word has just broken that Trank will not be visiting a galaxy far, far away. The film he was attached to, however, remains in development at Lucasfilm and a new helmer is expected to be announced soon.
“After a year of having the incredible honor of developing with the wonderful and talented people at Lucasfilm, I’m making a personal decision to move forward on a different path,” says an official statement from Trank. “I’ve put a tremendous amount of thought into this, and I know deep down in my heart that I want to pursue some original creative opportunities. That said, the Star Wars universe has always been one of my biggest influences, and I couldn’t be more excited to witness its future alongside my millions of fellow Star Wars fans. I want to thank my friends Kathleen Kennedy, Kiri Hart, Simon Kinberg, and everyone at Lucasfilm and Disney for the amazing opportunity to have been a part of this. May the Force be with you all.”
“It was a privilege to collaborate with Josh,” says Lucasfilm VP of Development Kiri Hart. “We are grateful for the energy and love of ‘Star Wars’ that he brought to the process, and we wish him all the best.”
Many fans anticipated a disturbance in the Force last month during the Star Wars Celebration when Trank did not take the stage alongside Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One helmer Gareth Edwards as was originally planned. Trank’s next film is 20th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four, hitting theaters on August 7.
