Is The Creator a Star Wars Movie? HITC focuses a lens on the Gareth Edwards-directed sci-fi blockbuster that tackles themes of AI and technological evolution. It’s premiering in US theaters on Friday, September 29th 2023, but the trailer and talent involved have audiences questioning whether it’s an original.
Gareth Edwards has directed a number of big movies but he’s arguably best known for helming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which has boasted an immensely passionate fandom since its 2016 release. With his latest set to hit the cinema, is The Creator a Star Wars Movie or something else entirely?
Is The Creator a Star Wars Movie?
Although The Creator is directed by Gareth Edwards and the visuals and tone have drawn Star Wars comparisons, this new movie is actually an original and is not associated with the Star Wars franchise.
Gareth has only helmed one Star Wars movie previously but became a promising name with his cost-effective yet ambitious 2010 drama Monsters. Ahead of Rogue One, he directed Godzilla, so he has experience with both existing IP and fresh stories.
John David Washington stars as Joshua, an ex-special forces agent who is hired to kill the mysterious Creator, an architect of advanced AI who possesses the power to end the war between man and machine, allowing AI to win.
Visually, there can be parallels drawn between this and Rogue One, with some of the AI beings resembling Star Wars droids.
Nevertheless, this is fresh thematic territory and a new story from the acclaimed British filmmaker.
‘That never normally happens’
The Creator may not be part of the Star Wars universe but Gareth conjured up the idea for it while doing the publicity tour for Rogue One.
He told Gamespot during an interview that, during this period in 2016, he “had some time off and ended up driving–my girlfriend’s from Iowa–we drove across the country for a few days.
“I was looking out the window and I wasn’t trying to do it on purpose. But suddenly, you know, when you finish a movie, all that stuff is in your brain that took up all that space for years, you just have to let it go. And there’s like this empty canvas. And so you just start daydreaming about another movie and I was listening to soundtracks.”
He recalled driving past a field with a factory in the middle of it. Although he had no idea what purpose the factory served, he envisioned it producing robots and this compelled him to think about how a robot would feel to leave its life in the factory and discover this world right on its doorstep.
“By the time we got to my girlfriend’s parents’ house, I had the whole movie in my head,” he added. “And that never normally happens. Normally, it’s like a really painful thing. And so that was a good sign.”
The Creator verdict is in
A number of audiences who have seen The Creator have continued to offer comparisons to Star Wars and, indeed, other iconic sci-fi favorites, showering the blockbuster with praise.
Check out a selection of tweets:
The Creator opens in theaters on Friday, September 29th 2023.