Standalone STAR WARS: Separating The Fact From Fanservice

Standalone STAR WARS: Separating The Fact From Fanservice

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At some point – and I think it’s coming pretty soon – the “WillTheyAreTheyWhichOneWhyGodWhyOhThat’sAwesomerThanEver” train of STAR WARS rumours will begin to grind upon our very souls, ruining even the most palpable sugar rush of getting new SW movies. That time may even be this week, as the notion of stand-alone movies focusing on characters away from the main EPISODE VII-IX plot chain was first reported by Ain’t It Cool’s Harry Knowles, then confirmed, tacitly, by Disney chairman Bob Iger.

So, while we still have your attention, let’s do our part to separate the rumours from the… well, they’re not facts until I see ’em on a movie poster released by Lucasfilm. Maybe not even then.

FACT: Lucasfilm is developing stand-alone movies. When Disney bought Lucasfilm on October 30, we found out they’d be releasing EPISODE VII in 2015 based on a script from Michael Arndt. Three weeks later, we heard rumblings that Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg were attached to write other scripts. We thought they were likely EPISODE VIII and IX, but according to The Hollywood Reporter they’re actually spinoffs focusing on characters not named Skywalker.

The notion of standalone spinoff flicks were confirmed by Iger prior to Disney’s quarterly earnings report, on CNBC:

When we were exploring very seriously with George the acquisition of Lucasfilm, the idea of producing a few so-called standalone films that were not part of the overall saga came up. And we discussed not in great detail, a few of the possibilities. What I confirm today is that those possibilities are becoming more real and they are now creative entities that are working on developing scripts for what would be those standalone films. We are not saying how many.

RUMOUR: Yoda and Han Solo will be the first two stand-alones made. Knowles started the rumour mill rolling on Monday by posting up a blind item that one of the flicks would feature Yoda. Entertainment Weekly countered by stating the first two flicks would feature Boba Fett, set between STAR WARS and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK; and a pre-Greedo-shooting Han Solo. Both would allow Darth Vader to return to the big screen, and all three options would give an intense amount of fanservice.

FACT: Lucasfilm is using their sister company Marvel’s Cinematic Universe as a roadmap to maximize STAR WARS screen time. The tactic to punctuate the big EPISODE movie releases with standalone films comes straight from Marvel’s proven method of using THE AVENGERS’ big event movies as tentpoles, with movies focusing on individual characters spread out to keep moviegoers salivating over the property for a long while, instead of an event every three years.

I’ll admit, the whole Yoda / Fett / Solo talk got me wondering: which supporting SW character would I want to see brought into a two-hour feature? Max Rebo? LOBOT? Wedge Antilles? More importantly, which character would you like to see in a STAR WARS Standalone? Leave it in the comments below!

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America's Sweetheart. Pixel monkey; media whore; recovering film critic; baseball fanatic; husband; Texan; human.