Skip to content
Bramble

Entertainment

Ben Affleck says he turned down directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens

On Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ben Affleck confirmed that Star Wars' makers approached him about directing The Force Awakens and that he declined, feeling someone with more passion for the franchise would do better. J.J. Abrams directed the 2015 film.

2 outlets · 1L · 1C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: The A.V. Club
Image: Collider

1 / 2

The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2Ben Affleck has confirmed that he was approached about directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens and turned the job down. Left · 1He made the comments on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he addressed speculation that he had been approached; the job ultimately went to J.J. Abrams. Left · 1Affleck said, "they came to me and asked me, 'Hey, are you interested in this?'" and added that he did not know whether the studio was also talking to Abrams or others at the time.

Centre · 1His reason was that he is a fan but did not think he was the right person: "Someone who has more passion for this is going to do a better job." Left · 1He said it was not "some great self-sacrificing thing", because he did not know that he could make a great version of Star Wars or reinvent it. Mixed · 2Affleck said reinventing the franchise has not been easy for the filmmakers who took it on, though some have done well, and that the fanbase has "very strong opinions".

Left · 1He said he has no regrets, comparing it to scripts he has turned down as a director because he did not want to direct something he could not be "really, really proud of". Left · 1He did not say when he was approached; the A.V. Club suggested it was likely after The Town (2010) or Argo (2012). Mixed · 2The Force Awakens, directed by Abrams, reached theaters on December 18, 2015, and passed $1 billion worldwide in 12 days; Abrams also returned for The Rise of Skywalker.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Light entertainment item placing Affleck's admission among his other recent revelations, with commentary on the franchise's fanbase.
Emphasis
Affleck's quotes, his lack of regret, the film's box-office success and toxic fan behaviour.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention Lucasfilm by name or later Abrams films.
Charged language
“toxic fans”“racist vitriol”
For example
“The fanbase is known to be plagued by toxic fans.” — The A.V. Club
“Between going viral (again) for his embrace of AI and confirming he wore no prosthetics in a Gone Girl shower scene, Affleck has revealed a lot lately.” — The A.V. Club

Centre1 outlet

Framing
Explainer-style piece on the pressure of taking over Star Wars, presenting Affleck's decision as honest and measured.
Emphasis
Affleck's reasoning, Lucasfilm's approach, the film's release and the upcoming Starfighter.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the box-office total or his lack of regret; includes promotional ship-quiz filler.
Charged language
“Officially Reveals”“an honest distinction”
For example
“It’s an honest distinction from a filmmaker who could have treated the size of the opportunity as reason enough to accept.” — Collider
“The next trip to a galaxy far, far away hits theaters May 28, 2027, with Shawn Levy's Starfighter.” — Collider

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Ask about this story

Loading…