After rumors of a possible standalone Star Wars film centered on Yoda, which was quickly followed up by confirmation Disney and LucasFilm were contemplating characters to focus on for standalone films outside of the new trilogy of Star Wars features, there was still no confirmation of which characters those films may focus on. Well, EW has some news on that.
Word is the two spin-off films would focus on: "A young Han Solo saga, focusing on the wisecracking smuggler's origin story, and a bounty hunter adventure with Boba Fett at the center of a rogue's gallery of galactic scum."
EW also brings additional details to the fold such as certain plot developments and where the stories would fit inside the established franchise:
The Han Solo story would take place in the time period between Revenge of the Sith and the first Star Wars (now known as A New Hope), so although it's possible Harrison Ford could appear as a framing device, the movie would require a new actor for the lead -- one presumably much younger than even the 35-year-old Ford when he appeared in the 1977 original.
The Boba Fett film would take place either between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, or between Empire and Jedi, where the bounty hunter was last seen plunging unceremoniously into a sarlacc pit. Exactly who would play him isn’t much of a complication -- in the original trilogy, he never took off his helmet. And in the prequels, we learned he was the son of the original stormtrooper clone, played by Temuera Morrison, who's still the right age for the part if his services were required.
I'm sure this isn't the end of the rumors we'll be receiving regarding these two films and who knows how many rumors will surround the J.J. Abrams-directed Star Wars: Episode VII, which is currently being written by Michael Arndt and targeting a 2015 release.
Working on the spin-off films are screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg.
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There's a lot at stake here. They could render the inimitable coolness of Han moot.
Here's hoping Hayden Christensen doesn't play young Han as well. I guess if they popped him in the Boba Fett suit and then did a voice over I would accept it... No, just stay away Christensen. Stay away.
Works for me. Both are good business decisions and ripe for expansion.
The more they try to expand this the less I look forward to it. Then again, I was never a Star Wars fan to begin with. I am however intrigued only because Abrams is involved.
Boba Fett did not die, he escaped from the Sarlacc Pitt (because digestion lasted for a thousand years and the sarlaccs do not chew their food). He escapes and goes back to his home planet of Mandalore and eventually becomes their leader for many many decades. They could be basing the Boba Fett film off of that.
More likely, it'd be his adventures before A New Hope.
This feeling, this hope that this newly formed Star Wars x Disney enterprise crashes & burns is totally irrational. Neither a fan nor hater of Star Wars but this cash grab, this whoremongering of fans childhood — dare I say, turns me off. The fans being OK w/ this just b/c they hate the prequels so much, for being terrible movies & being basically marketing for toys and other merchandise. I hope they get worse movies than the prequels. Not sure why It bother me so much that they're hopeful and excited about new Star Wars movies.
A totally irrational feeling I have.
I know.
I've always been intrigued by the Boba Fett character, and with him surviving the Sarlaac in a book, the film results could be interesting.
Before 2009, I never would have been in favor of these films; however, after seeing what J.J. Abrams was able to do with his Star Trek reboot (namely successfully recasting beloved characters) I can see the potential. The Star Wars universe is just as expansive as those created by Marvel & DC Comics, so perhaps lightening can strike twice for Disney.
Thems the facts
I was genuinely excited when they announced Episode VII. New story, new ideas. part of what made the prequels so bad was that there was no real drama. We all knew what would happen.
However part of what makes films exciting is their rarity. Even if they disappointed, at least the prequels were shrouded in excitement because it was an event! Their release was just one of six films over the process of almost 30 years. Now it feels like every summer we're going to have another Star Wars film in cinemas.
Just like comic book films, I was engrossed and excited for them, but now I can barely keep up with how many are coming out. Oh look another Iron Man movie, and three more planned X-Men prequels. Can you stand the excitement. There's no novelty in them anymore and I fear that's where Star Wars is going.
It's like people are surprised that when you combine Star Wars, the series that basically created modern merchandising techniques in film, and Disney, who's, well...Disney, that they're going to milk the series for all it's worth. But as many other commenters have pointed out, Disney's handling of the Marvel Universe has been rather good overall, and I have no real problem with learning more about these characters.
At least in Solo's case, he's certainly a character interesting enough to carry his own film...just think of these as the smaller films leading up to Episode VII like Iron Man and Thor (not that those were small, mind you, but still) led up to The Avengers. And hey, Kasdan is writing it, can't be all bad.
There will still be scarcity in the main, numbered entries. But if you think that Star Wars has been scarce, what with the over 150 books, tons of video games, spin-off tv shows, movies and other specials/Extended Universe objects, then you've just not been paying attention. If they're good, then they'll build up to what could be an excellent successor to Return of the Jedi, the legendary (one of the rare times this word isn't hyperbolic) Episode VII. And if they're bad, well then Abrams and Arndt will have the chance to redeem the series through Episode VII. Either way, the numbered entries will largely stand alone.
Well, I'm sold. Because if there is one thing that Star Wars has proven, it's that when you have popular characters, you should really go back and show what they were doing when they were children. The only way I can get behind this is if Vince is right and they get C-Tates or Ryan Gosling for Han
They won't be using that Temuera guy for any Boba Fett movie - he looks like he's in a permanent sulk and his diction is awful, second only to that kid who played his son (when I saw the movie the audience cracked up laughing when he opened the door to Kenobi and said "Yeh?")
While I feel like a Han Solo story would be like Joss Whedon's "Firefly/Serenity," seeing Boba Fett out there, possibly even having a sequence where he might actually talk, break down, etc, reveal truth to some other characters (of whom he really is)...between that and the fact the character looks like one of the clones (someone mistakes him for one until he either kills them, good and bad character) I think it could really work.
I feel Morrison could rock a Fett film if given a chance to show his chops ala Once Were Warriors.
Or they could do a Dengar film starring Don Rickles.
"...sallah mahalla halla everybody sucking sand."