Star Wars Episode IX loses its director.

Colin Trevorrow will no longer direct the ninth episode of the main Star Wars saga with Deadline reporting that the director has formally left the project. It is unknown who will take over the reigns but Episode VIII director Rian Johnson is said to be favourite to carry on the next episode of the story and has been said to “fit seamlessly into the LucasFilm machine”.

This news follows the recent departure of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller on the Han Solo movie. Disney and Lucasfilm took just two days to announce their replacement with Ron Howard and sources expect a similarly quick announcement for the new director of Episode IX to be made, with JJ Abrams also said to be under consideration. The director of Episode VII has previously enthused of returning to the Star Wars universe after directing The Force Awakens which was a huge commercial success and brought the saga back to audiences both new and old.

With shooting due to begin on Episode IX in early 2018 it would appear that an announcement is likely imminent and comes after the recent news that new writer Jack Thorne had been brought aboard the project. The British writer Thorne, perhaps best known for having penned the stage-play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, was said to be rewriting the script for the ninth Star Wars instalment.

Trevorrow had been attached to direct and write the project for almost two years and was the man behind 2015’s hugely successful Jurassic World which many believed had landed him the job. Lucasfilm film released the following statement with regards to the director’s departure;

“Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX. Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon.”

More news of this recent, further disturbance in the Force to follow.