Well that was fast. Just yesterday Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that the studio is developing standalone Star Wars films that will exist outside of the new trilogy, with a rumor surfacing that one such film could focus on Yoda. Though Star Wars: Episode VII will be the first new movie out of the gate, with J.J. Abrams at the helm, fans have now started to speculate on the nature of these new standalone Star Wars films. We know that screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan (Empire Strikes Back) and Simon Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes) are working on the spinoff movies, and the larger question has been whether they would focus on new characters in other parts of the Star Wars universe or whether Disney and Lucasfilm would instead focus on existing favorites.
It appears that the answer is the latter, as word now comes that two of the standalone Star Wars films in development center on the separate adventures of Boba Fett and a young Han Solo. Hit the jump for much more.
Per EW, two of the spinoff projects currently in development are “a young Han Solo saga, focusing on the wisecracking smuggler’s origin story, and a bounty hunter adventure with Boba Fett at the center of a rogue’s gallery of galactic scum.” The Han Solo story apparently takes place in the time period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, so we would be delving into the character’s exploits before he meets young Luke Skywalker. A Han/Chewie meet-cute is in the cards, perhaps?
The Boba Fett movie, meanwhile, will take place either between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back or between Empire and Return of the Jedi. Seeing as how Fett seemingly met his maker during Jedi, the time period for the character is a bit more constrained. Both films will require all-new casting, so we hopefully won’t be saddled with a forced framing device featuring old Harrison Ford.
Here’s where things get interesting, though: as these films take place during the original trilogy, it offers Disney and Lucasfilm the chance to revisit some of George Lucas’ seminal characters. Indeed, we could quite possibly see the return of Darth Vader or even Jabba the Hutt. We know that Kasdan and Kinberg are separately writing the Star Wars spinoffs, but it’s unknown which project each scribe is currently working on. Furthermore, as with all developing projects, these films could eventually change significantly or be scrapped altogether. That said, Iger seemed adamant about Star Wars spinoffs being released in between Episodes 7, 8, and 9, so I think it’s more likely that the Boba Fett and Han Solo movies come to fruition.
I’ll be honest, this isn’t exactly what I was expecting when it was announced that new Star Wars films were being made. Personally I’d much rather see new characters and new stories taking place in the SW universe rather than a rehashing of old characters, but I guess this isn’t too much of a surprise seeing as how studios are unwilling to spend large sums of money on original projects these days.
The question now turns to what filmmakers would be the best fits for these movies. Joe Johnston has made no secret of his desire to make a Boba Fett movie in the past, and given his relationship with Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy, I don’t think his involvement is out of the question. Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on this decision and who you’d like to see take the helm. I assume we’ll learn more soon.
Click here to catch up on all of our Star Wars coverage, or peruse the recent links below:
- Disney Confirms Standalone STAR WARS Films
- Rumor: First Standalone STAR WARS Movie Centers on Yoda
- THE COLLISION: Episode 35 – J.J. Abrams and STAR WARS
- Producer Kathleen Kennedy Explains How She Got J.J. Abrams to Direct STAR WARS: EPISODE VII; Won’t Confirm 2015 Release
- STAR WARS News: Film Might Have Female Protagonist; Abrams Comments on Getting the Gig; May Not Have Agreed to 2015 Release
- It’s Official: J.J. Abrams Will Direct & Produce STAR WARS: EPISODE VII; Lawrence Kasdan & Simon Kinberg Consulting on the Film
- Lucasfilm Postpones Plans for Further STAR WARS 3D Re-Releases