8 Different Versions Of Star Wars Episode VII That Were Almost Made

5. A David Fincher Directed The Force Awakens

When Did It Almost Happen? Just after Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012.

When Disney bought Lucasfilm and announced Episode VII, the biggest question (after whether the central trio would return) was who'd direct. Lucas was officially out of the running, and based on Disney's track-record with finding helmers for projects (Joss Whedon on The Avengers) hopes were high. Clearly they really were aiming high, as they approached David Fincher with an eye to him rebooting the franchise.

A Star Wars movie from the man behind Fight Club, Seven and The Social Network is a delectable idea, although it was always highly unlikely - since his experience with heavy studio-meddling on Alien 3, Fincher's been a stickler for creative control, something he'd be unlikely get with a movie as important as Star Wars.

In the end, it was a difference in ideals that led to Fincher not taking up the chair that eventually went to J. J. Abrams. To him, the real intrigue in Star Wars were the droids - sentient machines who are forced into servitude - with him wanting to make a movie that would essentially be Ex Machina in space. Not really what Disney were going for.