Star Wars Episode IX has lost its director. Colin Trevorrow, the director of Jurassic World, has departed the production. In a statement, Lucasfilm indicated that the studio and director mutually agreed to part ways over differing visions for the project.
A replacement has not been named yet. The film is currently scheduled for May 24, 2019 (see “New Dates for 'Star Wars,' Marvel, Pixar Movies”).
The Star Wars franchise has had some recent difficulty retaining directors. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) were fired from the standalone Han Solo feature in June, allegedly over clashes with long-time Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan (see “Directors Fired From Han Solo Film”). Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard has assumed the director’s chair for the film (see “Ron Howard Takes Reins of Han Solo Film”), which is slated to be in theaters on May 25, 2018 (see “Best in Shows – Q2 2018”).