Steven Spielberg has publicly ruled himself out of directing the new Star Wars movie following Disney's $4.05 billion acquisition of LucasFilm. His close working relationship with George Lucas had left many fans hoping Spielberg would step in to reignite the franchise, though the Oscar winner says he has no interest in getting behind the camera.

After being asked about the possibility, the director told Access Hollywood, "No! No! It's not my genre. It's my best friend George's genre." The remarks are somewhat at-odds with Spielberg's previous stance on the subject and he once spoke of his desire to direct one of the Star Wars movies. He was quoted by The Guardian as saying in 2002, "I've asked [Lucas]. He won't let me do one.I wanted to do one 15 years ago, and he didn't want me to do it. I understand why - Star Wars is George's baby. It's his cottage industry and it's his fingerprints. He knows I've got Jurassic Park and Raiders. But George has Star Wars and I don't think he feels inclined to share any of it with me." It's possible that Spielberg was approached by either Lucas or Disney to discuss Episode 7, though for whatever reason has chosen not to get involved.

His comments come in the same week that Disney confirmed Michael Arndt as the screenwriter for the new movie. Arndt is best known for penning Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3. Michael Vaughn is rumored to be talks about directing.