While William Friedkin may oppose making a concerted effort to hiring more women and minorities at all levels in Hollywood, the folks in the "Star Wars" camp are plotting calculated (and welcome) moves for change. Just last week it was reported that four female directors and three female writers had taken meetings for "Star Wars" movies (details beyond that weren’t specified), and now J.J. Abrams is shouting a name he’d like to see get behind the camera.
“One name that immediately comes to mind is Ava DuVernay, who I thought did just a mind-blowingly great job with ‘Selma.’ And getting to know her a little since that movie… she is such a fan of genre films and storytelling,” the director told Yahoo.
And while Abrams concedes there are many more names he could’ve mentioned, DuVernay comes immediately to mind “because she loves the world so much and loves this genre and is such a talented storyteller. So if I had a say in this, which I don’t, I’d give her whatever she wants.”
Meanwhile, EW has debuted the first official look at Carrie Fisher‘s daughter Billie Lourd in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which you can see below. She has already been briefly glimpsed in some teasers and trailers, but this image is all you’ll have to go on for now because any further details about her role are being kept secret.
A Sofia Coppola Star Wars movie LOL. I rather see her go back to Little Mermaid.
Or how about Sofia Coppola? So rad man!
^^This! Why not Kasi Lemmons? She hasn\’t done anything in a while. Why not Gina Prince-Bythewood? Both Black. Both Female. And the first names that come to mind when I think \’Star Wars\’.
No one actually wants to see an Ava DuVernay Star Wars movie; they want to see a black woman direct a Star Wars movie. Let\’s just make that clear…