So far, Disney and Lucasfilm's attempt at bringing the Star Wars franchise back to life has been an unqualified success. After the disappointing reception to George Lucas' ambitious prequel trilogy, Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy brought on Star Trek director J.J. Abrams to reboot the series with The Force Awakens, which was a critical smash and a global hit to the tune of $2.068 billion dollars. The next big Star Wars test was seeing if films unrelated to the Skywalker saga could become hits, and while the movie had its share of critics (myself included), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was generally well-regarded by fans and still topped $1 billion. But there has been trouble brewing at Lucasfilm, and it actually began with Rogue One. In post-production, Kennedy brought on Tony Gilroy to help complete the film in the editing room, effectively removing Gareth Edwards from his position. In a more contentious manner, LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired from the Han Solo spin-off months into production, replaced by the steadier hand of Ron Howard.
So the news that Disney is developing a film focusing on Obi-Wan Kenobi isn't exactly news that generates automatic excitement. But yet, that seems to be the next project on Lucasfilm's wish list. In an exclusive scoop from The Hollywood Reporter, Borys Kit reveals that an Obi-Wan film is being proposed at the studio, with director Stephen Daldry set to helm the project. There is no script, and judging by the fact that we're booked with a new Star Wars movie through 2019, the earliest this film could conceivably hit theaters is 2020. Daldry is a peculiar choice, a director best known for creating distinct period pieces and British dramas such as Billy Elliott, The Hours, and The Reader. There is no word on whether Ewan McGregor will return, but that would seem to be a must if the project is going to continue.
Look, I think an Obi-Wan movie set between Episodes III and IV would be kinda fascinating. You get something like James Mangold's Logan, a desert-set opus about a lone warrior- embracing some of the samurai and cowboy roots of the franchise. But I also echo the sentiments of literally every other film writer- can't Disney make an original Star Wars movie not based on a character we already know? Kit's article mentions that the studio is considering making Boba Fett and Yoda films. But why? Has anybody been asking for this? Does anybody want to see these movies? And will they all just be the same thing? Judging by the reports, Lord and Miller were attempting to do something genuinely different with their Han Solo movie- and Kennedy shut it down. So why should I believe that any of these films will be unique beasts and not just quick billion dollar nostalgia vehicles for Disney? I love Star Wars, but it's getting hard not to be cynical about the whole enterprise.
Images: Lucasfilm/IMDB
So the news that Disney is developing a film focusing on Obi-Wan Kenobi isn't exactly news that generates automatic excitement. But yet, that seems to be the next project on Lucasfilm's wish list. In an exclusive scoop from The Hollywood Reporter, Borys Kit reveals that an Obi-Wan film is being proposed at the studio, with director Stephen Daldry set to helm the project. There is no script, and judging by the fact that we're booked with a new Star Wars movie through 2019, the earliest this film could conceivably hit theaters is 2020. Daldry is a peculiar choice, a director best known for creating distinct period pieces and British dramas such as Billy Elliott, The Hours, and The Reader. There is no word on whether Ewan McGregor will return, but that would seem to be a must if the project is going to continue.
Look, I think an Obi-Wan movie set between Episodes III and IV would be kinda fascinating. You get something like James Mangold's Logan, a desert-set opus about a lone warrior- embracing some of the samurai and cowboy roots of the franchise. But I also echo the sentiments of literally every other film writer- can't Disney make an original Star Wars movie not based on a character we already know? Kit's article mentions that the studio is considering making Boba Fett and Yoda films. But why? Has anybody been asking for this? Does anybody want to see these movies? And will they all just be the same thing? Judging by the reports, Lord and Miller were attempting to do something genuinely different with their Han Solo movie- and Kennedy shut it down. So why should I believe that any of these films will be unique beasts and not just quick billion dollar nostalgia vehicles for Disney? I love Star Wars, but it's getting hard not to be cynical about the whole enterprise.
Images: Lucasfilm/IMDB
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