10 Directors Who Could Replace Josh Trank On Star Wars
2. Jeff Nichols
Nichols has slowly been making a name for himself with a string of very strong films. Take Shelter got audiences to perk up, and Mud cemented him as a talent to watch. With Boba Fett’s origin at stake, his experience creating a coming-of-age film is valuable, as is his simultaneous deft handling of soft romance and hard crime.
He hasn’t really jumped into science-fiction, but Take Shelter has enough surreal imagery and was extraordinary enough to suggest that he could handle it. Even then, the drama and dread he created maintained enough of an aura of despair that it would fit into any genre. Thanks to his suspenseful world-building, when he uses effects, they're striking, and when a gun finally fires, it's explosive.
His schedule should be freed up, but he’s also rumoured to be a contender for the Aquaman job, so if Star Wars doesn’t get him, it looks like he’ll be on a blockbuster eventually. And it would be Lucasfilm's loss, because Nichols could be the next big thing.