Guillermo Del Toro Got a Phone Call for Episode 7 but Turned the Offer Down.

After J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg and Brad Bird the next big director to decline working on Episode 7 is Guillermo del Toro. Read what he had to say after the break:

Back in November the director said "they haven’t formally approached me," but when The Playlist sat down with Del Toro recently, he revealed that he did get a call about the job. "We got one phone call to my agent saying, 'Is Guillermo interested?' And basically I have so much stuff already of my own, and I'm pursuing stuff that I'm generating already..." he said, explaining that he ultimately turned it down.
With numerous directing, producing and writing projects in the works, Del Toro made it clear that his own slate is full enough to keep him occupied, but he was still pleased to be approached. "It was very flattering," he said, adding: "It was just a phone call, it didn't go past that, it was very nice to be asked, but believe it or not, I'm busy enough."
The director also ruled out the possibility of helming any of the proposed/rumored spinoffs as well. So who should take on the sequel? Del Toro believes it should be a filmmaker who can really dedicate themselves to the franchise, and he has his own suggestion. "I think the fans deserve somebody that is just going to immerse themselves completely. As a geek, I would have loved to see Brad Bird take it," he said.

Too bad that Brad Bird already passed on the project too.

Source: Indiewire.com