The New York Comic Con marked the true arrival of director Brad Bird‘s new film Tomorrowland upon the global conscience. While the picture won’t be out until May 22nd, we hadn’t seen anything from the film at all until the trailer and poster popped up at NYCC and Bird (along with co-writer Damon Lindelof) started doing press. During that press Bird was asked what it was like to have to turn down Star Wars: Episode VII in order to work on his new film with George Clooney. What’s even more interesting about this exchange is that it seems like Bird was also up for Episode VIII if you break down the timetable of his comments.

Hit the jump for more on Brad Bird and Star Wars: Episode 7, which J.J. Abrams is of course currently shooting. The film stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis, Gwendoline Christie, Miltos Yerolemou, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Max von Sydow. It opens on December 18th, 2015.

Bird gave told MTV that it was a difficult choice: