Jurassic World: Dominion Director Opens Up About Disappointment Of His Star Wars: Episode IX Departure

Rey hugging Leia in The Rise of Skywalker

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Despite Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arriving in theaters last December, it still strange to think that the Skywalker Saga has finally come to an end. The nine-film narrative that began with George Lucas' A New Hope was wrapped dup thanks to J.J. Abrams' Episode IX, but he wasn't originally the director of the project. That honor went to Jurassic World's Colin Trevorrow, who recently opened up about the disappointment that came from his ultimate departure from the Star Wars blockbuster.

Director Colin Trevorrow brought new life to the Jurassic franchise with 2015's Jurassic World. The blockbuster was massively successful, and would kick start a new trilogy of movies. But he was also originally set to helm Star Wars: Episode IX, with a story that would have been vastly different from what ultimately made it to theaters. Trevorrow recently spoke to his disappointment about the Star Wars flick, saying:

I have been very fortunate in the films that I’ve directed.The path that I wanted to follow and the path that everyone involved wanted to follow was the same. It’s totally possible for people to see two totally different paths through the woods. That was just an experience that obviously, you can imagine, as all of these things, it can get to the point of being traumatic when there’s something that you care about that much and you’ve invested that much in it. But that’s one of the things that you accept when you take on any role in film, especially when you become a storyteller — that there are going to be heartbreaks. There's going to be crushing disappointments, and then there’s going to be victories. Hopefully, they’ll balance out in the end.

That's a classy way to look at it. Colin Trevorrow has clearly had the time to think about his short tenure in the galaxy far, far away, and has come out the other end with a new perspective. While he never got to bring his Episode IX to life or even begin filming the project, it freed up his schedule to focus completely on Jurassic World: Dominion.

Colin Trevorrow's comments come from his recent appearance at a panel during digital Comic-Con, and offer a healthy perspective at the entertainment industry as a whole. Directors and actors almost guaranteed to have fair share of disappointments. And while losing a gig in the galaxy far, far away was a "heartbreak", it's simply a facet of his particular job.

The entire Skywalker Saga is currently streaming on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the new streaming service.

Colin Trevorrow's Episode IX was reportedly titled Duel of Fates, and featured a ton of very bold narrative choices. The filmmaker was ultimately credited for contributing to the The Rise of Skywalker's story, although it bared little resemblance to his script that was ultimately leaked. But in the end J.J. Abrams returned to the Star Wars franchise to complete the Skywalker Saga, to mixed reception.

While he might not have gotten a true crack at the galaxy far, far away, Colin Trevorrow's will soon arrive in theaters thanks to Jurassic World: Dominion. The highly anticipated blockbuster is gearing up to continue filming after the set was shut down, and the blockbuster has a lot going for it. Dominion will bring back the original trio of Jurassic Park stars, as the world adjusts to dinosaurs living with us.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is streaming on Disney+, and Jurassic World: Dominion is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 11th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.