Despite recent reports that Logan director James Mangold was reportedly attached to direct a Boba Fett Star Wars Story movie, and other recent reports that suggested that the eagerly awaited Kenobi Star Wars story movie was in pre-production, according to reports from both Collider and Star Wars News Net Lucasfilm are putting these and any other planned Star Wars Story spin-off movies on indefinite hold. No doubt this decision is a reaction to the underwhelming box office performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story, which after many well-publicized production woes currently stands as the lowest-earning Star Wars movie since Disney acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012; having thus far earned $344.3 million worldwide.
Considering the apparent appetite among fans and general audiences for a Boba Fett and an Obi-Wan movie, this move by Lucasfilm may seem foolhardy until one looks at the main criticism aimed towards the sequel trilogy and the two Star Wars Story movies; Rogue One and the recently released Solo. Since 2015's Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens each of the Star Wars movies have over-relied on the nostalgic reverence that fans and general audiences hold towards the original trilogy. With Star Wars Story movies put on hold for the foreseeable future, Lucasfilm is reported to be focusing more on Rian Johnson's trilogy and the movies planned from Game of Thrones scribes David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the latter movies of which fans are speculating could explore the Old Republic and/or the birth of the Jedi and/or Sith.
Speaking recently on Collider's Jedi Council host Kristian Harloff reiterated SWNN's praises in what looks like Lucasfilm moving away from over-relying on original trilogy nostalgia and moving towards expanding the mythology of the saga, its history and the galaxy within which it is set. However during the weekly Star Wars themed show Harloff, co-host Ken Napzok and guest host Maude Garrett also expressed views that the move away from producing Star Wars Story movies may also be fuelled by Disney's move into the streaming market, and their bid to dominate said market with a plethora of content including Dave Filoni's new animated serial Resistance, Jon Favreau's as-of-yet untitled live-action serial, and the wealth of IP's (Intellectual Properties) Disney are hoping to acquire should they succeed in outbidding Comcast for 21st Century Fox.
Additionally, with the Boba Fett and Obi-Wan movies reportedly no longer being pursued any time soon the question remains has to how Lucasfilm plans on producing a Star Wars movie every year until 2030. Will Star Wars Story's make a return further down the line, or will Lucasfilm follow the Johnson, Benioff, and Weiss movies with one more, final saga trilogy - aka episodes X, XI and XII?
UPDATE (22/06/2018). Following stirrings from ABC news that Lucasfilm reportedly "still have many Star Wars movies in development", comes a more tempered report from THR stating that following Solo's poor box office performance, which in itself is the result of many factors discussed in the above included episode of Jedi Council, Lucasfilm are not dropping development, as it currently exists for the much-discussed Boba Fett and Kenobi movies. THR states that an unnamed source has informed them that Lucasfilm is instead re-assessing its plans for these movies and other movies moving forward.
THR's report actually does seem to fit with other recent rumors that Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy's position as its president may be coming to an end in the near future. Together with this confusion on the fate of the Boba Fett and Kenobi movies, and rumors that Johnson's trilogy may no longer be being pursued, it would seem that Lucasfilm may soon be heading into a transition period, both executively and creatively. Could this see Dave Filoni rise to replace Kennedy as its president? Can Lucasfilm turn things around and deliver less nostalgic driven content for the big and small screen? Has Star Wars been saved?
