Star Wars 9: Colin Treverrow defends directing gig after The Book of Henry reviews

The Naomi Watts-starring flick was decimated by critics

Following the release of Jurassic World, Colin Trevorrow was quickly nabbed by Disney to direct the upcoming ninth instalment in the Star Wars saga.

For some, alarm bells were already ringing. The Jurassic Park sequel may have been a phenomenal box-office success, but the reviewing consensus seemed to mistake the nostalgia heavy blockbuster good, but not great.

Then came The Book of Henry earlier this year, the director’s third feature film, following World and Safety Not Guaranteed. The reviews were shocking, The Independent calling the film “this year's must un-see movie”.

Star Wars fans have been rather frightened by the announcement; where JJ Abrams had an expansive, acclaimed back catalogue and Rian Johnson had Looper, Trevorrow has little to fall back on.

However, the director insists he’s still the man for the job. "Not only did I grow up on these stories, like all of us did, [but] I think that the values of Star Wars are values that I hold very close and very dear in my life," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

"I feel that the message of the way that the Force teaches you to treat other people and show respect for others, and the way it guides you through life, is really important to me. And I hope everybody would realise that that set of stories has affected me as deeply in my life as it has affected them.”

Trevorrow emphasised how studio blockbusters have become more collaborative over time, saying the producers now have more say than ever.

I think that except for very, very rare circumstances, there is no such thing as final cut anymore. And I think the best-case scenario for any film is that the producer and the writer and the director are all on the same page and making the same movie."

"I’ve been fortunate enough in all the films that I’ve made so far that we haven’t had internal conflicts, as far as the movie that we were making. That can happen, and I know that’s frustrating for all involved when it does," he added. “That’s not a situation I’m involved in.”

He also spoke highly of Kathleen Kennedy, head of LucasFilm and the person who has spearheaded the sequel trilogy and spin-offs.

Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow (Rex Features)

Recently, Kennedy fired the Han Solo spin-off directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller half way through the shoot, choosing Ron Howard as a replacement. The Lego Movie duo were reportedly removed from the project over “creative differences”.

Asked about the trouble, Trevorrow said: "Movies are very personal, and art is very personal, and for people to try to turn that into something that is salacious or something that will get clicks is frustrating and sad for me because I know that [movies] mean a lot to everyone involved," he said. "And everybody involved in that movie is passionate about it and worked on it very hard and continues to work on it very hard.”

Over the weekend, a behind-the-scenes clip from Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released, feature numerous new creatures and a closer look at many characters.