As exciting as the prospect of the new Star Wars trilogy is, many have been even more excited about the spin-off films that are supposed to land in the years between the trilogy films. After all, we’ve seen a new trilogy before, and many fans were quite disappointed by it. But spin-off films on the other hand, that potential is endless. There could be an awesome Boba Fett film, stuff focused on the Sith when they were actually in power and not just a thing of the past, or basically anything else fans could dream of. But Disney’s chief financial officer Jay Rasulo spoke at an investor conference today and referred to the spin-offs as “origin story films” which could end up being a lot less interesting than many have hoped.
He talked to investors about how Star Wars is a safe brand, and the possibilities with toys and theme parks are endless. But then he moved on to the films, saying the first goal is to “to put out a great film” in 2015, and then focus on everything else. He confirmed that there will be a new movie coming out every year, with the trilogy films coming on the odd-numbered years and one “origin story film” in the years between.
Simply seeing origin stories for all these characters isn’t nearly as interesting as launching into the most exciting stories imaginable for them. Yes, for certain characters, seeing an origin would be great, but not for all. A prime example would be Boba Fett. Giving him an origin story would completely destroy the mythological status that has built up around him. And if they were to do an Obi-Wan stand alone film, the time between episodes 3 and 4 would be my pick. When word of the spin-offs first hit the web, I made a list of 5 films I’d love to see, and most of them did not focus on anyone’s origin.
All that being said, if they do take the Marvel approach by casting well and making innovative picks for the directors, these movies could be very good, there’s no denying that. There’s also the chance that Rasulo was just calling them origin films as a way of saying spin-offs, so I wouldn’t quite panic yet. But still, it’ll be a shame if they pass over a lot of much more interesting stories to only focus on origins.
What do you think of origin stories as the Star Wars spin-offs? Head on down to the comments section and share your thoughts.
