Star Wars 9: Colin Trevorrow has quit as director of Episode IX

'Colin has been a wonderful collaborator, but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ,' Lucasfilm's statement reads

Is Lucasfilm OK?

Colin Trevorrow has departed from Star Wars: Episode IX, in a move which only further paints a portrait of a studio in a bizarre cycle of chaos and uncertainty.

The official statement announcing the news read, "Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX. Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process, but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon."

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed sources claiming the project's been in trouble since early June, which would offset any assumptions the departure is connected to the critical and box office failure of Trevorrow's The Book of Henry.

Instead, it's claimed that the issues come down to the film's script, with Trevorrow having completed multiple drafts in an attempt to find something Lucasfilm would be happy with. Last month, Jack Thorne, who wrote the upcoming Jacob Tremblay movie Wonder, was tapped to work on the script.

Of course, Trevorrow's departure seems remarkable considering it's only been a few months since the directors of the Han Solo film, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, stepped down over disagreements when it came to the film's tone, with Ron Howard coming into to complete the film.

Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy was apparently keen to avoid the same situation, but it's clearly becoming a major pattern for the studio.

Although not officially booted off Rogue One, Gareth Edwards was quietly sidelined during the film's reshoots so Tony Gilroy could take over, while Josh Trank was dropped from a Star Wars anthology film following the reports of his behaviour on the set of the disastrous Fantastic Four reboot.

Trevorrow, meanwhile, is still attached as co-writer and executive producer to the follow-up to Jurassic World, his 2015 sequel to Jurassic Park. And there's already plenty of talk of who might take over Episode IX, with previous directors Rian Johnson and J.J. Abrams some of the top contenders.

Star Wars: Episode IX hits UK cinemas 21 June 2019.

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