Ah yes, the new 'Star Wars' movie. Still don't have a director I see. The question of who will helm possibly the most anticipated movie since 'The Avengers,' (I know, really reaching back for that one, right?) has been burning and buzzing since Disney purchased Lucasfilm back in October. Since then, the rumor mill has been churning at dizzying speeds, cranking out name after name of directors in the hunt for the gig...all of whom would be debunked shortly thereafter. The latest filmmaker to be crossed off the list is Guillermo del Toro ('Hellboy'). During a recent interview, del Toro admits that he was contacted by Disney to see if he would be interested in directing 'Star Wars Episode VII.' It seems del Toro's schedule was way too loaded with personal projects he's keen on pursuing, so he turned them down. During the interview, del Toro also mentioned that he won't be directing any of the proposed 'Star Wars' spinoffs. The still directorless 'Episode VII' is due in theaters in 2015.

What I find most disappointing about this piece of news is not so much that del Toro isn't directing 'Episode VII' as much as he's sworn off the possibility of being involved with any of the new 'Star Wars' films whatsoever. It makes sense that he would be too busy to start on something set to be released in 2015, and the crowded nature of his dance card puts the kibosh on any inkling that he might be deflecting here, but to not want to do any of them? That seems a bit strange. As imaginative a filmmaker as he is, and given his ability to tackle large-scale sci-fi like 'Pacific Rim,' he would be a stellar choice for the job. But after the whole 'At the Mountains of Madness' fiasco, perhaps he's a bet reticent to work with a big studio like Disney on something so high profile.

Ok so let's run down the list of who isn't directing 'Star Wars Episode VII' so far...

Steven Spielberg
J.J. Abrams
Brad Bird
Colin Trevorrow
Quentin Tarantino
Zack Snyder
George Lucas
and now Guillermo del Toro

So, now that del Toro's out, and given the list of other directors who've declined, perhaps we need to look outside of A-list blockbuster directors to find our guy;

Well, here's some hopeful news for Star Wars: Episode VII. No, we don't have any word on a director yet, but a familiar face to fans of the sci-fi saga will be pleased with this news. Fanhattan (via Bleeding Cool) recently had a chat with iconic poster artist Drew Struzan and asked the retired master of movie posters whether he might get back in the groove with the new Star Wars films. The good news is that Disney has already approached Struzan to do some work for the new trilogy, which will see the first installment release sometime in 2015, but the bad news is that Struzan hasn't decided whether he'll actually do it. More below!

Here's what Struzan said when asked if Star Wars would put him back to work:

     Oh, well, never say never… in fact, I got a couple calls already this week on Star Wars from Disney…  You know, I spent 35 years painting Star Wars. I painted Star Wars before most of you were born! But I guess there is always a chance. There’s no intention.

I'm not sure how Star Wars posters without the touch of Drew Struzan would look, though I'm sure there's a few artists who could do their best to impersonate his trademark style. At least Struzan isn't ruling it out, but surely being retired would be a reasonable excuse for him not to return. Anyway, let's figure just what the hell Disney is doing with the franchise over the next few years before anything. Who will direct Episode VII? What's going on with these spin-offs that may or may not include Zack Snyder and Jedi samurai? Spill some of the beans, Disney! We're hungry!