Beyond Skywalker: What’s the future of Star Wars?

Kathleen Kennedy talks to the Los Angeles Times about what we can expect from Star Wars in the post-Rise of Skywalker world:

Kennedy said she plans to make key decisions about the direction of the franchise in the coming weeks. But some things she already knows. While the “Skywalker” saga is ending, the company won’t abandon the characters created in the most recent trilogy. Additionally, she said, the plan is to move beyond trilogies, which can be restricting.

“I think it gives us a more open-ended view of storytelling and doesn’t lock us into this three-act structure,” she said. “We’re not going to have some finite number and fit it into a box. We’re really going to let the story dictate that.”

Not too many detail details – although we do learn that Jon Kasdan has completed a pilot script for a Willow series – but some things to chew on.

LFL might branch out with Children of Blood and Bone adaptation

Lucasfilm might soon be expanding outside its two signature franchises. Deadline reports that Disney may be handing off an adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone, one of last year’s big YA fantasy releases, to Lucasfilm.

The book was originally picked up by Fox 2000, which is now owned by Disney. Writer Kay Oyegun (This Is Us) is “making a deal” to write the film, which will be directed by Rick Famuyiwa, one of The Mandalorian’s directors. (He’s also rumored to be doing more Mandalorian and in the mix for the Cassian show, so clearly LFL likes what they’ve seen. )

Lucasfilm has done projects outside of Star Wars and Indiana Jones before – most recently Strange Magic – but this would be the first produced and developed since the Disney purchase.

After Skywalker? No new Star Wars films until 2022

Disney has announced film release dates through 2027, and as we we warned, there’s a Star Wars hiatus after The Rise of Skywalker. Lucasfilm won’t be taking 2021 off film though, as a new Indiana Jones remains set for July 9, 2021. The first Avatar sequel takes the Star Wars slot on December 17, 2021.

“Untitled Star Wars” for December 16, 2022 is likely the first movie from David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The Avatar leapfrogging continues with more sequels in December ’23 and ’25, with a second “Untitled Star Wars” set for December 2024, and a third “Untitled Star Wars” in December 2026.

We don’t know much about the Benioff and Weiss films, though the latest rumors say they may be headed for the ancient Old Republic. Any of these spots could also be for the trilogy from The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson as well. Lucasfilm isn’t saying:

Both sets of films will be separate from “The Skywalker Saga,” which is what Lucasfilm has been billing Episodes I-IX as of late. December’s The Rise of Skywalker is said to be the last, but I’m old enough to remember them saying that about Revenge of the Sith as well.

Solo, Indiana Jones movies coming to Netflix in January

Solo: A Star Wars Story and all four Indiana Jones movies are among the new offerings coming to Netflix in January.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull drop on the first; Solo appears on January 9.

Meanwhile, Rogue One is leaving on January 18. It’s next stop is with the rest of the saga on TBS/TNT. It was, notably, the first Star Wars movie on (American) Netflix. Solo will be the last; Episode IX will debut on Disney+.

Adam Driver, Richard E. Grant among Star Wars actors up for for Golden Globes

Several Star Wars actors got Golden Globes nominations today –Adam Driver (for BlacKkKlansman) and Richard E. Grant (for Can You Ever Forgive Me?) are both in the running for a supporting nod, while in the TV categories we have Donald Glover (for Atlanta), Keri Russell (for The Americans), Laura Dern (The Tale) and Thandie Newton (Westworld), all in different categories (lead comedy, lead drama, lead limited series and supporting series, respectively). Grant and Russell will make their Star Wars debuts in the upcoming Episode IX.

We also see Marvel get their first Best Drama nod at any major awards show, for Black Panther. This is the first superhero picture, period, to be nominated to the category for the Golden Globes. (Deadpool did get a nod in 2017, but as a Comedy.) It’s also up for Song and Score.

You can check out all the nominations at EW.

Report: Indiana Jones 5 delayed

The fifth Indiana Jones movie won’t be coming in July 2020, Variety says today. (It was moved to 2020 way back in 2017, back when they first scheduled IX.) They’re following an earlier report from Collider, which says that the film has a new writer, Solo’s Jonathan Kasdan, replacing David Koepp (Jurassic Park).

Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford “remain committed”. The previous film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, came out in May 2008.

Jon Favreau drops some details on his Star Wars TV show

While Star Wars Twitter was all aflutter about Ewan McGregor attending last night’s Solo premiere (in light of the afternoon’s big rumor), it was Star Wars TV guy Jon Favreau who ended up slipping us some news. Favreau, who voices Rio Durant in the film, first told Anthony Carboni on the official livestream that he’s written about half of the first season of his upcoming streaming show.

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