star wars

J.J. Abrams Wants Ava DuVernay to Be the First Woman to Direct a Star Wars Movie

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There’s no shortage of women directors in Hollywood, and yet not one has ever directed a Star Wars movie. The head of Lucasfilm has said she wants that to change sooner rather than later, and Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams already has one name in mind: When asked which woman he’d want to see in the Star Wars director’s chair, he tells Nerdist that his top pick would be your new favorite Barbie doll Ava DuVernay:

“The knee-jerk reaction if I had to is Ava DuVernay, who I think would just kill it. She is as much a fan of genre movies, and hearing her talk about not just Star Wars but those kinds of films is evidence that she would just kill it. When you look at her work in Selma, which was as-well told and as sophisticated and humane a film as I think has come out in the last decade, if she can do that story that well, there’s no question she would kill this movie.”

DuVernay has already turned down one opportunity to direct a male-dominated blockbuster, but given the plan to keep on making Star Wars movies forever, Lucasfilm will have plenty of chances to try to woo her. Or, y’know, she could just pitch a fire spinoff starring John Boyega, and the choice will almost be too obvious.

J.J. Abrams Wants Ava DuVernay for Star Wars