Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope), the brainchild of its director and writer George Lucas, was released May 25th 1977. Inspired by the groundbreaking visual effects seen in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 uber-classic science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey and made on a measly budget of $11million, little would have believed that a science fiction fantasy adventure movie directed by the eccentric director of American Graffiti would become the biggest movie property ever. Even fewer would have believed that nearly forty years later three American youngsters aged 10, 3 and another not even 1 year old would go on to join the phenomenon that became Star Wars, accompanied of course by a lone British 2 year old boy.
The three American youngsters in order, and their British counterpart are J. J. Abrams, Rian Johnson, Colin Trevorrow and Gareth Edwards; the first three being the directors of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, with Edwards being the director of the first non-saga Star Wars movie Rogue One. These four directors AKA the Star Wars Rat Pack are possible the most coveted directors in Hollywood at the moment, having been given the priviledge and honor to continue the saga they grew up with.
J. J. Abrams
Little 10 year old New Yorker Jeffrey Jacob Abrams has since grown up and become a recognized director and producer of science fiction in his own right, having developed for both TV and cinema franchises such as Alias, Lost, Fringe, Revolution, Alcatraz, Almost Human, Star Trek and Mission Impossible. It is little wonder then that both Disney and Lucasfilm approached Abrams to direct and co-write, with original Star Wars trilogy scribe Lawrence Kasdan, the first movie in the Star Wars sequel trilogy - Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Rian Johnson
3 year old Californian (though born in Maryland) Rian Johnson may have grown up but he has only just started on his path as a Hollywood director, with his directorial debut Brick having only been released in 2005. After the success of the 2012 surprise science fiction hit Looper, and his subsequent TV work on the critically acclaimed TV show Breaking Bad, Johnson was granted the opportunity to not only write and direct Star Wars Episode VIII, which has started filming in Michael Skellig, Ireland, but also write its sequel, which will be directed by fellow Californian...
Colin Trevorrow
The practically newborn baby from San Fancisco probably didnt watch the first Star Wars in cinemas, though he no doubt grew up with the phenomenon and no doubt owned many of the Kenner toys available during the 1980's (as did we all; if you're over 30). Little Colin is now the director and co writer of this years massively successful Jurassic World, his third ever feature film directorial effort. An accolade that Disney and Lucafilm simply couldn't ignore when they asked him to direct Star Wars Episode IX. Strange that despite being the baby of the rat pack, Colin actually looks like the oldest.
Gareth Edwards
Little 2 year old Gareth Edwards was most likely nicknamed Gaz growing up in Nuneaton in England, and whats the bet that little Gaz had a few Kenner Star Wars toys of his own, and probably the duvet and pillowcase covers too. Little Gaz is now big Gaz, and is definetly not a stranger to being on the less conventional side of cinema with his directorial debut Monsters and his big screen adaptation of the Japanese legend Godzilla. Now Gaz is directing an ensemble cast in the first non-saga Star Wars movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Who will be the next, likely young director to join the Star Wars Rat Pack after Josh Trank was declined the chance to direct what is looking to be a Han Solo and Boba Fett movie in the same vein as Gareth Edwards Rogue One?
