Obi-Wan Kenobi
TheStar Warsfranchise has had a tough fourth dimension with directors since its revival meeting under the sovereignty of the Walt Disney Company . While J.J. Abrams brought them glorious winner as the man behindThe Force Awakens , Gareth Edwards ’s time in charge ofRogue Onewas mired in tougher circumstances and accusations of some major issuance necessitating Tony Gilroy taking over reshoots to rework the third act . The Last Jedi seems to be in undecomposed hands withRian Johnson , or at the very least there have been no murmur of problems on - set or in the boardroom , but the second spin - off , the Untitled Han Solo pic , wherein directorsPhil Lord and Christopher Miller , formerly of theJump Streetseries andThe Lego Movie , were unceremoniously removed from the project with only a couple of weeks of shooting to go . rumor vanish around the internet , alleging originative squabbles and scare from Lucasfilm executive Kathleen Kennedy over Lord and Miller ’s selection with one of the franchise ’s most iconic characters , but it at long last it looks like the film maker were expulsion in an effort toprevent their visual sensation from having any influenceon the movie ’s post yield . Now , withRon Howardtaking over the task , allowing things to relax a minuscule more after a wild Summer , it ’s time for Lucasfilm to proceed expand their universe of discourse . The Hollywood Reporterrevealed the exclusive that a solo movie forObi - Wan Kenobiwas in the works , with Oscar nominative music director Stephen Daldry in dialogue to helm the campaign . This is all still in the very early stages where anything can and probably will materialise , but if it were to go forward , anObi - Wan moviewould sure enough offend the interest of buff and novices alike . break up a director for a project of this order of magnitude is never comfortable . Few franchises , even the multi - billion dollar mark ones , carry the sheer weight of bequest and ethnical impact in the wayStar Warsdoes , and any director work within that electrical capacity must brawl with that and the inevitable constrictions put in piazza by Disney and Lucasfilm . This probably wo n’t be the blank canvas tent for a distinctive auteur to exert his textile as they please . Knowing all of that , the likely hiring of Daldry still seems kind of boring . Daldry is an undoubtedly talented director , one with decades of experience on stage and CRT screen , with the awards to back it up , but he does n’t inspire fervent enthusiasm , even from many critics . He ’s esteem , respectable and find the job done , no question asked . That ’s somewhat wearisome , but that ’s also the point . After all the panic and pandemonium because of their late film director choices , peradventure whatStar Warsneeds is a steady solidifying of hands . That ’s not to say that Daldry is in any elbow room a staid or workmanlike director . For many years , he was one of the most famous stage directors in the UK , work as artistic director of the Royal Court Theater from 1992 - 1998 , where he helmed a identification number of celebrated production . While working for the Royal National Theater , Daldry steer a revitalization of J.B. Priestley’sAn Inspector Calls , which is credit with re - introducing the playwright to modern audiences and completely reinventing the play for a new eld . The 1992 production made the World War 2 earned run average critique of the upper classes fresh for contemporaneous taste without losing its savage edge , and the staging became one of the must - see ken in twentieth - century theater . The yield is so celebrated that it work on a UK wide go a decennary later . Daldry maintained his theatrical clout when he made his feature film directorial debut withBilly Elliot , a drama set during the miners ' strike of 1984 in the North of England that follows a new boy who let out a predilection for concert dance . meter has not diluted the powerfulness ofBilly Elliot , an immensely wizardly flick that accurately captures the working class discord of Thatcher Britain while maintaining an empathy for its central character , a at sea minor who find saltation as a way to express himself . It ’s a dynamic film that ’s sturdily put together , and it became a major strike upon release , grossing over $ 100 thousand worldwide from a $ 5 m budget . It also garnered Daldry his first Oscar nomination for Best Director .
This start an unbelievable run of achiever for Daldry , who landed two more Best Director Oscar nomination for his next two movies , The HoursandThe Reader(both were also propose for Best Picture ) . The next decade marked Daldry as a talent to watch , one with a keen eye for awards - friendly textile and translate it to great succeeder . Arguably his in effect project during this time was the stage adaptation ofBilly Elliot : The Musical . He managed to successfully trance the oomph of the plastic film , from its dizzying choreography to the ardour of mineworker unions in protest , while adding the dazzle theatricalities require of the West End and Broadway . It ’s one matter to make a mid - budget indie motion-picture show ; it ’s a whole other challenge to bend that into a house friendly melodious people would be uncoerced to ante up $ 100 a ticket for . Billy Elliot the Musicalis a charismatic show that maintain its cultural specificity yet remains accessible to wider audiences . How many musicals do you have a go at it contain a song calledMerry Christmas Margaret Thatcher ? Both the West End and Broadway production were fiscal successes and bring Daldry a sack of awards .
All of this background ( include his late work on the Netflix seriesThe Crown , which is a major Emmy contender this year ) emphasise a key detail about Daldry he ’s unspoiled at his job but he ’s also immensely disciplined . He ’s used to work with budgets big and modest , sticking to the constraint of adapt previously existing material , and portion out with intestine - busting Hollywood producers , most notably Scott Rudin . He ’s the variety of manager you could determine your watch to . That may not animate baseless enthusiasm , but the result talk for themselves .
The question is also about the form of director Lucasfilm involve and not needfully one it require . It ’s unmortgaged that the studio was on some level exquisite to embrace a burgeon auteur mold of music director , someone in the nervure of a new George Lucas who could put their own stamp on the series but ensure it remain an straight off recognizable product the Star Wars brand . That ’s not bear very strong results for them so far . J.J. Abrams did well but he ’s a splash hand at the big studio apartment rodeo , one who hump how to give the producer what they want . Gareth Edwardsran up against studio expectations for Rogue One , and Lord and Miller were allegedly too focused on the wacky funniness aspect of Han Solo , which worriedLucasfilm . We can growl about the guess want of originative unity and originality in the studio right on now , but this is a multi - billion dollar intersection that Disney buy with the denotative intent to milk for years , and possibly X to get . That require film director unforced to play the game . It calls for the hardy , studio apartment - tie music director model of erstwhile , someone racy and with the geezerhood behind them to show they fuck what they ’re doing . Ron Howard is a consummate manager of that classic mold , and so is Daldry . There ’s no way he ’s run to be getting into fights with Kathleen Kennedy or drop hours on unnecessary improv . You want the task done ? rent someone you know you’re able to count on .
Daldry may have his hands full if he does indeed point the Obi - Wan Kenobi film , as he is still attached to Universal ’s long - await movie adaptation of the Broadway musicalWicked . Lots of things need to bump before any theater director can sign on the speckled line to join the Star Wars universe , but given recent troubles and the studio apartment ’s desire to keep calm and carry on , it ’s voiceless to think of a sturdier duet of hands than Stephen Daldry , boredom be damned .
NEXT: LUCASFILM DEVELOPING OBI-WAN SPINOFF MOVIE
