Home Entertainment The future of Star Wars movies may lie in anthologies, not episodes

The future of Star Wars movies may lie in anthologies, not episodes

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If you had to identify the one theme running through all of the episodic Star Wars movies, it’d be legacy. There’s a continuation of ideas and themes throughout the seven episodes available, of the Force and families. But this year marks a massive departure for Star Wars. Rogue One is not an episodic movie in the franchise. It’s an interquel of sorts, a spin-off that details just how the Rebels managed to learn of the Death Star and its crucial weakness that began the entire saga back in 1978.

Spin-offs are the name of the Star Wars game right now, as Disney and LucasFilm are banking big on Rogue One being a box office success that’ll prove that Star Wars can exist beyond its episodic structure. Because the future of the franchise, may lie outside of the idea of rolling in a new trilogy every few years.

Speaking to EW, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy explained how these anthology movies were first dreamed up by George Lucas himself:

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George talked to me about doing this when I first came aboard. He had often thought about doing it and he had actually written down three or four thoughts and ideas, directions you could go. Obviously inside the mythology there were lots of opportunities. So that was the first conversation I had… We talked a lot about the Jedi and the foundational ideas that George had thought about when he created the mythology. It was sort of spit-balling ideas.

Beyond Rogue One, LucaasFilm also has a young Han Solo movie in the works with Phil Lord and Chris Miller directing. It’s an idea of the anthology system at work, but it wasn’t the only idea floated around. In fact, the best damn bounty hunter in the galaxy was due for a solo movie as well, as Josh Trank began developing a Boba Fett project. And then something happened, as Trank abandoned it entirely.

Boba Fett’s solo movie was meant to be one of the big announcements for Star Wars Celebration of 2015, with Kennedy remarking back then to the Playlist that:

It’s still one of the stories that we absolutely want to tell. There is a lot of innovative technology in and around what it is we’re doing with that story, so for a lot of reasons, we were comfortable postponing that. But we’re definitely still developing it.

Bummer. Anyway, back to the main story then. Once the box office dust has cleared from Rogue One’s debut next month, Disney and LucasFilm will hold a summit to discuss the future of the franchise, what works and what needs to still be done as Kennedy revealed:

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There are [possible movies] that we have been talking a lot about. But we are planning to sit down in January, since we will have had The Force Awakens released, now Rogue One, and we’ve finished shooting Episode VIII. We have enough information where we can step back a little bit and say, What are we doing? What do we feel is exciting? And what are some of the things we want to explore?

That retreat will include a group that includes directors, producers, “the story team and the trust, and the visual effects team” Kennedy said. With the Star Wars currently properly planned through to Episode IX in 2019, the summit will ask if 2020 and beyond will be dominated by spin-offs or a new trilogy according to Kennedy:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story..Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) ..Ph: Jonathan Olley..©Lucasfilm LFL 2016.

That’s a conversation going on right now, too. I have to honestly tell you, could we [do nothing but stand-alones]? Sure. But I don’t know. We are looking at all of that.

And that’s an interesting idea. The old Star Wars cast has made way for a newer generation, who have youth on their side in an industry that has changed massively since the first Star Wars movie was released. It also points towards the trilogy of Finn and Rey being a done-in-three setup, but nobody would be unhappy to see them pop up in the anthology flicks along the way.

Then again, with Marvel’s idea for a shared universe being that of solo movies that lead towards something bigger, Disney can easily afford to pinch some ideas from that formula. Or they can make that Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars crossover that I’ve been dreaming about lately.

Last Updated: November 23, 2016

44 Comments

  1. Kromas Ryder

    November 23, 2016 at 09:05

    As long as episode 8 and 9 comes out they can do whatever they want.

    Reply

    • Andre Fourie

      November 23, 2016 at 09:11

      Agreed.

      Reply

    • Sageville

      November 23, 2016 at 09:38

      Yas!

      I’m just happy the universe is expanding and the stories are continuing, much happiness.

      Reply

  2. Andre Fourie

    November 23, 2016 at 09:14

    They pissed me off when they killed Han Solo off already. I almost walked out of the cinema. Was upset for days. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7f17efcd7bc264a611281e7a6a8dc6dbec3eaf9a4cd02288e5512f2e76915f90.png

    Reply

    • Kromas Ryder

      November 23, 2016 at 09:23

      Not that big a deal for me but the movie is not even a year old. Maybe add a spoiler alert.

      Reply

      • Andre Fourie

        November 23, 2016 at 09:28

        LOL. Sorry, thought everyone would have seen it after a year. I mean who would miss such a thing? Its on DSTV already.

        Reply

      • Sageville

        November 23, 2016 at 09:35

        Isn’t there an unwritten rule what once it’s released on dvd spoilers are permitted?

        Reply

        • Kromas Ryder

          November 23, 2016 at 11:20

          Must be very unwritten as I have not heard about it. 😛

          Reply

      • 40 Insane Frogs

        November 23, 2016 at 12:59

        They also kill Chewy 😛

        Reply

    • Sageville

      November 23, 2016 at 09:39

      That being said, Harrison Ford was totally done with the character… they could not have used him for another movie.

      Reply

      • Andre Fourie

        November 23, 2016 at 09:48

        Yes, he is long in the tooth now.

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Argonian

          November 23, 2016 at 10:06

          He belongs in a museum

          Reply

          • GooseZA

            November 23, 2016 at 11:28

            Hey! You call him Dr Jones!

    • HvR

      November 23, 2016 at 11:27

      What Han dies in the new movie?!?!?!

      Noooooooooooooooooooooo

      Reply

      • Andre Fourie

        November 23, 2016 at 11:35

        Like you didnt know. LOL

        Reply

  3. Andre Fourie

    November 23, 2016 at 09:15

    If they had hurt Chewy….

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Argonian

      November 23, 2016 at 09:29

      Well Chewie died and Han lived in the EU

      Reply

      • Andre Fourie

        November 23, 2016 at 09:30

        EU???? Way too early for abbreviation deciphering.

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Argonian

          November 23, 2016 at 09:31

          Expanded Universe

          Before Disney up and destroyed it

          Reply

          • Andre Fourie

            November 23, 2016 at 09:32

            Okay….. 😛

          • Admiral Chief Argonian

            November 23, 2016 at 09:33

            If you are ever up for some good reading, go check it out.

            I think they call it SW Legends now, bah

          • Andre Fourie

            November 23, 2016 at 09:36

            Oh its books? Geez, I need to go back to bed and shut up.

          • Andre Fourie

            November 23, 2016 at 09:36

            Thought its cartoons or something.

          • Captain JJ

            November 23, 2016 at 09:45

            I miss Jaina.

        • Admiral Chief Argonian

          November 23, 2016 at 09:32

          Seriously, you don’t know the SW EU?

          Reply

          • Andre Fourie

            November 23, 2016 at 09:32

            Nope.

          • Admiral Chief Argonian

            November 23, 2016 at 09:32

            Dude, some of the BEST SW stories are from there.

            Sadly they all don’t “exist” now in the SW universe

          • Andre Fourie

            November 23, 2016 at 09:35

            I just followed the movies. And loved all of them. If its cartoons, then I would have missed it. Not big on cartoonies.

          • Captain JJ

            November 23, 2016 at 09:40

            Clone Wars was the animated series was better than most of the movies, including ep VII imo

          • Admiral Chief Argonian

            November 23, 2016 at 09:41

            Clone Wars CGI and Clone Wars animation was damn fine.

            The animation one was majestic AF

          • Admiral Chief Argonian

            November 23, 2016 at 09:40

            The new CGIs are magnificent

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            November 23, 2016 at 10:21

            Then you’ve missed the best Star Wars character ever – AHSOKA TANO.

          • Admiral Chief Argonian

            November 23, 2016 at 10:23

            Pity about the DED thing though

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            November 23, 2016 at 10:23

            Even if she is dead, at least she existed, unlike your EU. 😛

          • Admiral Chief Argonian

            November 23, 2016 at 10:31

            EU still exists in my heart!

          • Skyylark

            November 24, 2016 at 10:32

            Would love to see a Starkiller reference in Rogue One. *Dreaming i know

            After all, in the EU it was his family crest that the rebellion used as their insignia.

    • Marc O Polo

      November 23, 2016 at 10:12

      As much as I hate to admit it they might have to after this cuttent trilogy, Peter Mayhew is 72, can’t play the character forever…

      Reply

  4. Captain JJ

    November 23, 2016 at 09:20

    Yea, this much was clear after EP VII

    Reply

  5. Admiral Chief Argonian

    November 23, 2016 at 09:29

    Imagine a SW KotOR anthology…

    Reply

    • Andre Fourie

      November 23, 2016 at 09:37

      Dude……

      Reply

    • Andre Fourie

      November 23, 2016 at 09:37

      XD

      Reply

  6. Marc O Polo

    November 23, 2016 at 10:09

    If they would bring deathwatch into the star wars movies, I’d be sooooo happy!

    Reply

  7. 40 Insane Frogs

    November 23, 2016 at 12:58

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