Was there ever any doubt that Disney has drawn up massive plans for the future of its Star Wars franchise? Exactly one week ago, we brought you the news that the Mouse House has essentially outlined a roadmap for the series that’ll lead to another 15 years of Star Wars movies, starting with the release of The Last Jedi this December. If it wasn’t already, Disney’s $4 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm back in 2012 is beginning to look like a shrewd bit of business.
To date, we know that the next chapter in the Skywalker saga – one headed up by Brick and Looper director Rian Johnson – will be followed up by Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Han Solo anthology movie and Star Wars: Episode IX, the latter of which has appointed Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) at the helm. Beyond that, though, the future of Star Wars remains shrouded in mystery. A Ewan McGregor led Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff has reportedly been floated, and if a new report from Star Wars News Net is to be believed, the Powers That Be over at Lucasfilm “fully intend” to craft a standalone pic built around the great Obi-Wan.
Here’s the purported tidbit from SWNT: “Kathleen Kennedy and the rest of Lucasfilm fully intend to make an Obi-Wan movie set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, with Ewan McGregor in tow.”
If this rumor holds true, we should stress that Lucasfilm is angling the spinoff as a singular pic in the vein of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, rather than the beginning of an all-new trilogy. Behind the scenes, Gareth Edwards’ name has been touted as a potential candidate to direct, though there’s no mention of a specific deal just yet. As always, we’ll keep you posted as more information emerges.
Next up for Disney’s iconic juggernaut is the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on December 15th.