J.D. Dillard is currently doing the rounds to promote his new movie, Devotion, but in an interview with The Wrap, he shared some updates on a few noteworthy projects he's been attached to over the past couple of years.
First up is the long-awaited The Rocketeer sequel, The Return of the Rocketeer. He was first attached to that movie in 2020, and while Dillard didn't elaborate on how close he came to making it, he's understandably disappointed to have not been given the chance to bring that long-awaited follow-up to our screens.
"I am not on that movie," Dillard started. "But, you know, it’s tricky. I love, love, love ‘The Rocketeer.’ What I have a slightly hard time wrapping my head around now is going back to pre-1970 aviation. You know, I’m not saying never. But I think I need a breather from period aviation."
The director would go on to admit that he has "no idea what version of that story they’re putting together," but is confident his take would have had a lot in common with Devotion.
Earlier today, the news also broke that Free Guy and Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy has been tapped to direct a mystery Star Wars movie at Lucasfilm. However, as one project gains a filmmaker, another just lost one. Also announced in 2020, it's no longer happening.
Confirming the movie is "unfortunately no longer a thing," Dillard added "it was not for lack of trying" before revealing that he's now looking to make an "original" space movie.
The filmmaker didn't elaborate on what happened, but we're guessing his vision didn't line up with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy (who has scrapped more Star Wars features than we can keep track of at this point). He noted that he was a big fan of the Star Wars: TIE Fighter video game, so we do wonder if an Imperial pilot was to be the main focus.
Oh, and one final project the director distanced himself from is J.J. Abrams' Black Superman movie. While Dillard got his start working with that filmmaker on The Force Awakens, he says it's not "something I have never spoken about" and "not something I have been introduced to" despite his interest in reuniting with his former collaborator.
So, that's three franchises he's missed out on, but we're sure he has a bright future ahead without any of them. Devotion has been receiving great reviews ahead of its release on November 23, and it feels like both Disney and Lucasfilm have made a real blunder by parting ways with the up-and-coming director.