Star Wars: Episode IX director responds to petition asking him to be removed

Star Wars: Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow is aware of an online petition asking that he be fired from the gig, and he remains undeterred, telling Entertainment Tonight that he will do his best to keep creator George Lucas' spirit alive in his film

According to the petition, which is still available to see on Change.org, fans are asking the studio to remove Trevorrow and replace him with Lucas. However, Lucas has said time and time again that he's not interested in returning to the series.

"When George Lucas made Star Wars, a lot of people thought it was crazy," Trevorrow told Entertainment Tonight. "I just want to embrace that kind of invention and creativity that he brought to it."

Trevorrow isn't new to criticism, either. The Jurassic World director came under fire last year after suggesting that the reason more female directors weren't being tapped for high-profile, blockbuster films was because they didn't have "the desire" to do so.

He added that the types of movies most female directors wanted to make didn't include "spaceships or dinosaurs" and Hollywood couldn't be blamed for that.

The director later backpedaled and apologized for his comments, adding that if a woman director expressed interest in directing a film like Jurassic World, she should be given the opportunity to do so.

Star Wars: Episode IX, the last in the new trilogy, is set to be released sometime in 2019.