Although Steven Spielberg was likely never going to direct STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, at one point he was being considered to helm the project, back when it was still just Episode VII. Spielberg ended up passing on the film, however he convinced J.J. Abrams that he should take on the movie, and helped him land the gig.
But does Spielberg have any interest at all in directing a Star Wars flick? At a press event for his latest directorial effort THE BFG, the filmmaker said he's a fan of the movies, however it's not just his genre.
I’m never going to make a Star Wars film. That’s not my movie genre. It’s certainly my buddy’s, the Thomas Edison of science fiction George Lucas, who created the entire series. That was never for me. I’m just a fan; I’m just with everybody else in the audience watching them.
Spielberg has directed a number of sci-fi films, so I'm not sure what he means with his comment about how Star Wars isn't his genre, but perhaps he just doesn't want to be heavily involved with a long-established franchise he didn't personally help develop, especially one created by his BFF George Lucas. Are you disappointed that "The Beard" will never be behind the camera for a Star Wars movie?
Spielberg's THE BFG will arrive in theaters on July 1, 2016, while his READY PLAYER ONE adaptation has been set to be released on March 30, 2018.