It was fall 2012, and the internet was buzzing as details of "Star Wars: Episode 7" started to emerge. One of the earliest developments concerned the fact that Michael Arndt was writing treatments for the next three sequels, and one of the directors said to be taking a look was none other than Brad Bird. This quickly led to speculation he was going to direct ‘Ep. 7,’ and at the time the director took to Twitter to debunk those rumors and to reveal he had a new sci-fi movie in the works instead. That turned out to be "Tomorrowland," but the filmmaker recently talked with MTV about why he decided against stepping into George Lucas‘ shoes.
“For a moment there, I thought it would work out to do ‘Tomorrowland’ and go right into it, [but then I realized] it wouldn’t work," he explained. "There was no way to make that schedule and give this film the attention it deserved. I know it’s going to be terrific and everything, but I’m really happy to do this film. It’s rare to do a film of this size that’s original.”
And frankly, we can’t blame the guy. If the wheels are in motion to do something original with major studio money, you should take that shot, especially these days when the trend tends to favor established properties. And we wonder if Bird’s experience making another franchise property, "Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol," had anything to do with his decision.
Well, there’s plenty of time to ask him before "Tomorrowland" opens on May 22, 2015. Watch the interview with Bird below.
