Perhaps the signs were there all along. After all, Josh Trank was notably absent from the Star Wars Anthology presentation at Star Wars Celebration just a few weeks ago. Regardless, today’s announcement that Josh Trank is departing the upcoming untitled Star Wars Anthology film still feels like a genuine shocker. That’s not going stop to LucasFilm from moving ahead with the project as multiple agents and directors are undoubtedly swapping calls right now. The first planned spin-off in the Star Wars Anthology series Rogue One, directed by Godzilla‘s Gareth Edwards, will open December 16th, 2016. The now director-less spin-off is penciled in for a May 2018 release date, so it’s not like LucasFilm doesn’t have ample time to find a suitable replacement.
From StarWars.com:
Trank said, “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. 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.”
Lucasfilm VP of Development Kiri Hart said “It was a privilege to collaborate with Josh. We are grateful for the energy and love of Star Wars that he brought to the process, and we wish him all the best.”
