In April 2013, Disney Chairman Alan Horn made the dreams of millions come true when he announced a range of new plans for the iconic and beloved Star Wars film franchise. Beginning with a new trilogy of core sequels – headed up by Star Wars: The Force Awakens – the studio confirmed that there would also be several standalone, spinoff movies, giving a broader view of Star Wars action.
With this parallel Star Wars series quickly becoming known as the Star Wars Anthology films, the imaginations of fans ran wild – with such a rich universe to draw upon, the possibilities seemed endless. The schedule for these new plans was confirmed by Disney CEO Bob Iger – the intention being, to release of a new core film every two years, interspersed with an Anthology film. The result of this schedule means we will potentially see a brand new Star Wars film every year, for six years, beginning in December 2015.
The news continued to get better. While Rian Johnson (Looper) was confirmed as director for further core sequels, Godzilla director Gareth Edwards was soon confirmed as taking the helm of the first Anthology film, to be titled Rogue One. A year later, the casting of Felicity Jones (The Theory Of Everything) and Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline) was announced – along with the fact that the story would centre on a rebel unit trying to steal the Death Star plans. This would be a war movie, inspired by films such as Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan.
The importance of these details cannot be overstated. They indicate an intention on the part of the studio and producers to deliver individual spinoff films – created by visionary filmmakers, who will base them within very specific genres, with very specific tones, in a Star Wars setting. Josh Trank (Chronicle) was announced as director of the second Anthology film, and while he has since exited the project, the suggestion that the Anthology instalment that follows Rogue One will focus on the characters of Boba Fett and Han Solo seems increasingly likely.
But, what of the third slot? There is a whole standalone Star Wars movie there to be planned. The question is, who would we like to see it focus on, and in which style? Who should direct it? The Star Wars universe is filled with potential and as-yet unexplored avenues, so it is impossible not to have a wishlist. While the studio works to figure out what the third Anthology film will be, let’s see if we can put together some pitches of our own.
