10 Directors Who Said NO To Star Wars
1. Guillermo Del Toro
The mighty Guillermo Del Toro has come so very close to directing a Star Wars project on a number of occasions.
Back in 2023, it was revealed by David S. Goyer on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via THR) that he “wrote an unproduced Star Wars movie that Guillermo del Toro was going to direct."
The latter would later confirm this to be true, adding that it was about six years earlier that the project was being looked at, and posting “can’t say much. Maybe two letters “J” and “BB” is that three letters?” on X.
There was apparently "a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff going on at Lucasfilm at the time," but Goyer felt it was a "cool script" - albeit one we'll probably never get to see.
As you've likely already guessed, that project was one focusing on Jabba the Hutt, with Del Toro later confirming this to Collider’s Steven Weintraub.
Before that unproduced film fell through, though, Del Toro had already turned down the chance to direct his own Star Wars movie, becoming yet another person who said "no" to Episode VII.
Similarly to Brad Bird, Del Toro's schedule was too full to get in the director's chair for that massive movie. The Shape of Water creator told IndieWire (via THR) that his agent received a phone call about him possibly directing that film, but he felt he was already "busy enough."
The Oscar-winner clearly has an interest in bringing his unique filmmaking style to the galaxy far, far away, but as of this moment, Lucasfilm, Disney and Del Toro haven't been able to get a project in front of cameras... yet.