There are major film franchises, and then there’s Star Wars. George Lucas’ colorful space opera changed the industry forever, and entire generations of movigoers were borught up on the galaxy far, far away. Unfortunately, a few potential projects have been scrapped over the years. And Zack Snyder recently shared how he knew his R-rated Star Wars movie wouldn’t work out. Yes, I’m still bummed about hat could have been.
Snyder is a filmmaker known for his signature visual language, which was used in projects like Watchmen and 300. And it turns out that he actually pitched a Star Wars movie to Lucasfilm back in the day. He had a bold vision for the sci-fi property, including hopes for the franchise’s first R rating. Snyder recently spoke to Empire about this scrapped vision, saying:
The sale [of Lucasfilm to Disney] had just happened. There was that window where, you know, who knows what’s possible? I was like, ‘I don’t want any of your characters. I don’t want to do anything with any known characters, I just want to do my own thing on the side.’ And originally I was like, ‘It should be rated R!’ That was almost a non-starter.
Honestly, sign me up. The Star Wars franchise has only recently started exploring stories that aren’t directly connected to the main Skywalker Saga. And that’s exactly what Zack Snyder wanted to do shortly after Disney acquired Lucasfilm. Unfortunately, trying to convince the studio to take this chance was easier said than done.
There have been a ton of Star Wars projects announced since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, some of which never saw the light of day. That includes Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron, as well as a Lando Calrissian show. And Zack Snyder’s many fans would no doubt have been thrilled to see what he could do with the galaxy far, far away.
So what went wrong? Smart money says Snyder’s quest for an R-rating made things complicated with the studio. Later in the same interview, the Man of Steel director spoke about why his movie never came to fruition. He offered:
I knew it was a big ask, to be honest. But the deeper I got into it, I realized it was probably never going to be what I wanted.
Touche. Star Wars is an iconic IP, and Lucasfilm understandably is very hands on. Since Zack Snyder is a filmmaker known having a unique vision, he quickly realized he wouldn’t be able to operate without oversight from the studio. And as such, they eventually parted ways.
This sentiment is one that might be shared by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who were the original directors of Solo: A Star Wars Story. After clashing with the studio Miller and Lord were eventually fired, with director Ron Howard stepping in to complete the project on time.
Star Wars recently announced it plans for a new trilogy, which will take place across the entire timeline. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
