Disney CEO confirms standalone Star Wars films

Disney CEO Bob Iger dropped a couple of bombs on us this afternoon regarding future Star Wars movies.

Lucasfilm is working on ‘a few’ standalone films featuring existing characters – but not part of the overall saga. Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are working on them – thus confirming the second half of an older rumor.

Iger said that Disney and Lucasfilm hope to make Episodes VII-IX over “a six-year period.” They’re still aiming for a 2015 release, but “a few other films” will be released “in that period of time.” Bryan Young speculates that this likely means we’ll be getting a Star Wars film on a yearly basis, which is in line with sister studio Pixar’s outputiger-cnbc

UPDATE: StarWars.com adds that Kasdan and Kinberg are working on two films separately, each focusing “on a specific character,” and that they’re both expected to come out after Episode VII.

Iger declined to name any specific characters, so the Yoda film still remains strictly a rumor – but certainly a far more likely one now. I’d also place bets on Boba Fett getting his own movie – but if it keeps him (and his director fanboys) out of further Episodes, that’s a price I will (grudgingly) pay.

22 Replies to “Disney CEO confirms standalone Star Wars films”

  1. I’m waiting for “Quinlan Vos and Kit Fisto’s Galactic Reggae Hyper Trip”

  2. Well, so much for bogus rumors being true. ;-) Boba Fett? Yes, seems kind of unavoidable but if they made a 300 rip-off starring Fett, they would probably create enough nerdgasm energy to make oil drilling in the arctic superfluous, so go Disney.

    As for actual characters, my bet is on a Darth Maul film set before The Phantom Menace, some Jedi film set at any time, and some film aimed at girls between 6 and 10. Princess something-or-other, i.e. something for the Tinkerbell crowd. It’s a Disney world after all.

  3. At first I was worried about overkill, but I love getting a new episode of The Clone Wars every week, and I don’t feel overloaded with Marvel movies and those have MORE than one film a year.

    I think I can handle one Star Wars movie a year, especially if it’s side stories filling in the years between main Episodes. If EVERYTHING was a Skywalker movie then I’d get burned out, but this system could work out just fine.

  4. In my opinion, the interesting question is: How will they distribute these spin-offs? Will they go straight to DVD/Blu-ray/web, will they air on some Disney TV channel or will they actually be released in theatres worldwide?
    And, of course: Are we talking about live-action films or are these new projects for the Filoni team once TCW wraps up?

  5. I actually liked the Ewok movies, so I think there might be some potential there. My guess is that they’ll probably be TV/DVD releases.

  6. I didn’t like the Ewok movies but I also never liked E.T., Willow, Labyrinth or any of those creepy puppet films. Maybe I was just too old when I first saw them, who knows.
    But I agree with you, TV/DVD seems to be the most likely distribution channel. And personally I could very well live with that. I don’t need or want a new Star Wars movie on the big screen every year but getting a quality alternative to the Holiday Special every year? Sure, why not. :-) At least as long as they bring in Carrie Fisher to sing her little song. :-P

  7. Why would they distribute via DVD when there’s the potential for at least a few weeks of huge box office by releasing them to theaters?

    I think we’ll have the usual theater, then DVD route.

  8. I’m with Paula… Though I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some sort of additional TV projects beyond just the three we know about.

  9. I worry a bit about over-saturation too. On the other hand, for an old-timer like me…Lawrence Kasdan is writing a new Star Wars movie. I never, ever, thought I’d be typing that sentence.

  10. Well, it will obviously depend on the kind of budget we are talking about. Spin-off to me implies a lower production standard but maybe that’s just the horror of the Holiday Special talking. Shouting in Wookiee growls that is. ;)
    It’s just that my first thought was: Movie of the week, TV standard, straight to DVD. Because I can’t quite imagine them doing the sequels and full-blown spin-offs at the same time.

Comments are closed.

%d bloggers like this: