Guillermo del Toro admits he was approached for Star Wars: Episode VII

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Says he’d have liked to see Brad Bird direct it

Guillermo del Toro’s name would have been at the very top of many fans’ wishlists of potential directors for Star Wars: Episode VII .

And in a recent interview with The Playlist , the Pan's Labyrinth director confirms that he was approached to direct Episode VII , although he was quick to pass on the opportunity as a result of his already jam-packed schedule.

Clarifying the situation, GdT explained, "We got one phone call to my agent saying, 'Is Guillermo interested?' And basically I have so much stuff already of my own, and I'm pursuing stuff that I'm generating already..."

That’s not to say that the news wasn’t taken as a compliment, with del Toro adding: “It was very flattering. It was just a phone call, it didn't go past that, it was very nice to be asked, but believe it or not, I'm busy enough.”

When del Toro was asked who he’d like to see direct the new SW movie, he suggested Brad Bird, saying: “I think the fans deserve somebody that is just going to immerse themselves completely. As a geek, I would have loved to see Brad Bird take it.” Sadly, Bird has already ruled himself out .

While we would have loved to have seen del Toro’s take on the Star Wars universe, we’re pretty sure that his 2013 blockbuster Pacific Rim will launch an epic new franchise of its own.

Pacific Rim opens in the UK on 12 July 2013.

Matt Maytum
Matt Maytum

Matt Maytum is the former Editor of Total Film magazine. Over the past decade, Matt has worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.