After “The Escapist” and “Rise of The Planet of The Apes” it was clear that Rupert Wyatt had enough talent to craft smart, moving and memorable films, regardless of budget sizes.

His 2011 blockbuster, a remake/reboot of a science fiction classic, was critically acclaimed and a box-office hit. That’s why I have always believed that he would be a great fit to direct any of the new Star Wars movies. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.

At a recent press event in Los Angeles for “The Gambler” I asked the director about the possibility of helming a chapter of the galactic saga and he revealed for the first time that he actually had talks with the studio.

You can read a transcription of the exchange and listen to it in the video below.

Desde Hollywood: I have to ask you about Star Wars. Were there any talks about that? Is it something that you would like to do in the future?

Rupert Wyatt: [Takes a deep breath] Nobody has asked me [laughs], so this is all speculation. I mean, I had a meeting with Kathleen Kennedy not long after “Apes,” this was pre-J.J. Abrams. It would have been an amazing honor, obviously, an amazing opportunity in so many ways. But [The Gambler] is my third film and I am still learning as a filmmaker. […] I am very proud of having done that because I didn’t want to find myself getting into the summer tentpole kind of filmmaking. If you come fast out of the gate and you don’t actually learn your craft you can quickly expire. I wanted to do something that it was a bit more challenging, and test me with actors and scripts. Now, having done that, I want to go back to what I truly love. I think that you can call it high concept genre filmmaking. Art pulp I guess is what I like. I love science fiction and what it can do in telling stories that reflect on us as species. That’s what I want to do next, but it is something that I am writing myself.

He doesn’t specify the movie discussed in those talks, but mentioning J.J. Ambrams strongly suggests the upcoming Episode VII, now titled “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Last year both directors were in the headlines after Abrams mentioned that someone like Wyatt would be a great directorial choice for “Star Trek 3” (Roberto Orci ended up getting that).

Regardless of the response that “The Gambler” gets, it is admirable to see a young film director resisting the temptation of going too big, too fast. His return to the science fiction genre may not be based in an existing popular property, but those who appreciate his amazing “Ape” will rush to the movie theater at the speed of light.