'Star Wars' Spin-Off Director Will Be...

You may not know the name Josh Trank now, but give it a couple years and he'll probably be running Hollywood. StarWars.com has just announced that Josh Trank will direct the first Star Wars in a series of stand alone films which will punctuate the release of the new films in the franchise's official chronology. If the rumors are true, the first stand-alone film, Rebels , can be expected later this year, though it's not confirmed yet which of the spin-offs Trank will be helming. In addition to a new film this year, early reports have projected a new Star Wars film from now until 2020, and I really hope they continue to use these films as an opportunity to hone new directorial talent!

At only 30 years old, Trank already has an impressive resume. His first film, 2012's sleeper hit Chronicle, made waves with critics as he quickly developed a sci-fi fan following— such a following, in fact, that he was then tapped to direct the upcoming reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise. To have such an iconic brand put in the hands of such a relatively new director speaks volumes of Trank's talent, and clearly he's got more than one studio standing up and taking notice!

Best of luck to Trank— taking over even a piece of such an iconic franchise is a big task, but based on his track record, he is more than up to the challenge.