Brad Bird Shoots Down 'Star Wars' Speculation

Deborah Coleman/Pixar

Sorry Brad Bird fans. The director isn’t headed to a galaxy far, far away.

Bird was on many fans' wish lists of directors to tackle Star Wars: Episode VII. He is well-liked for his mix of action and fun, as demonstrated in his work on Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol and The Incredibles.

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Asked by fans to address their hopes, Bird wrote simply: “Not doing Star Wars.”

“@rsavenell: You are on people's lists as top choice for Star Wars, yet haven't confirmed. Please end this tease!” Not doing Star Wars.

— Brad Bird (@BradBirdA113) November 18, 2012

This sparked a number of tweets from disappointed fans who asked Bird why he wasn’t going to take on the project. He responded by touting his next film, a sci-fi mystery called 1952, which is being written by Damon Lindelof at Disney.

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“The science fiction film I AM doing is gonna be cool,” he tweeted, adding: 

That said, Michael Arndt is a fantastic writer and Kathy Kennedy is a brilliant producer. I will be first in line to see the new STAR WARS.

— Brad Bird (@BradBirdA113) November 18, 2012

The next Star Wars film is slated for a 2015 release, with Toy Story 3 scribe Arndt and Lucasfilm's Kennedy on board. To fuel your speculation for who might be tapped to helm, read THR's list of 15 potential directors.