In possibly the weirdest bit of news you’ll hear today, Visionary Director Zack Snyder™ might be preparing to speed-ramp in a galaxy far, far away. According to Vulture, his next project after this Summer’s Man of Steel will be an installment in Disney’s soon-to-be-reinvigorated Star Wars franchise, but not Episode VII.
Snyder’s film will be a non-numbered entry, loosely adapted from Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. If, for some reason, you’ve never see it, Seven Samurai is the story of a small village that hires a group of masterless samurai to defend them against the bandits that keep attacking. Obviously, the samurai would be replaced by Jedi.
Art by Steve Bialik
This wouldn’t be the first time the classic has been adapted into a different genre. The Magnificent Seven set it in the Old West, while Three Amigos and Galaxy Quest have turned the concept into comedies. George Lucas himself heavily based the original Star Wars on Kurosawa’s Hidden Fortress.
Snyder’s take on the material would start production after Episode VII, which currently has no director so it might be a while.
UPDATE 1/15/13
Perhaps you might not want to hold your breath on this one. Snyder’s reps have weighed in with a denial (and a bit of a plug) over at The Hollywood Reporter.
While he is super flattered because he is a huge fan, Zack is not involved in any way with the new Star Wars. He is currently in post on his two films, Man of Steel and 300: Battle of Artemisia.
It’s kind of a shame, really. I’d have liked to see what he’d do if allowed to play with Lucas’ toys. If nothing else, it would look so damn pretty.
