This week word leaked out that
Disney has mapped out films in the Star Wars franchise through the end of the
decade. While there hasn't been an official conformation from
Disney or Lucas film regarding this schedule, it is consistent
with the statements from Disney executives stating that we will see at
least one Star Wars film per year going forward. Here is the
timeline that was released:
2015: Episode VII
2016: Boba Fett
2017: Episode VIII
2018: Han Solo
2019: Episode IX
2020: Red Five
For our purposes today, I'd like to
take a look at the three standalone origin films; Boba Fett, Han Solo and Red
Five.
First off, those three names pertain
to specific characters in the Star Wars universe. Boba Fett and Han Solo
are two of the most popular characters in the Star Wars Universe and for those
unfamiliar with Red Five, I'll explain later in this post about who that is.
All three films are likely
to take place in the 19 year time frame between the ending of
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. That
will allow for Disney to use characters even casual Star Wars fans
are familiar with at different stages of their lives and bridge the gap between
the two franchises.
Let's take a closer look at
each film individually and speculate about what may be.
BOBA
FETT
STORY:
The early rumors involving this film
had Lawrence Kasdan penning a script with someone killing the original
Boba Fett, taking his armor and assuming his identity. While we now know
that this film will be directed by filmmaker Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) and
written by Gary Whitta (Book of Eli), I would bet that there was still some
truth to that early Kasdan rumor. Kasdan likely wrote an
outline or treatment for Disney to set the wheels in motion on this
project.
Boba Fett is a bounty hunter by
profession. I'm sure we'll see a story of hunter and prey.
CASTING:
The idea of someone killing Boba
Fett and assuming his identity makes perfect sense from a casting stand
point. The fact that they wouldn't have to use Daniel Logan (Boba
Fett in Episode II) or someone who resembles him in the role would
allow Disney to then open the casting up to stars that have an
established box office track record. Building this project
around a star is just standard risk management.
I wouldn't be surprised if one
of two actors that were rumored to be attached to Episode VII were actually in
discussion with Disney the whole time to play the role of Fett
instead. Those gentlemen are Michael Fassbender and Benedict
Cumberbatch.
The saying goes "there's a
grain of truth in every lie". While their involvement in
Episode VII has been proven untrue, perhaps the rumors weren't completely off
base.
HAN
SOLO
STORY:
Out of the three origin stories I'd
have to say that the Han Solo story has me most nervous. Han Solo is
the most established out of the three characters associated with the stand
alone films. While we don't know much about his past (he's a smuggler, he
won the Falcon from Lando, and he lost one of Jabba's shipments to the
Imperials) we know enough about his character to feel certain actions wouldn't
be consistent with the original trilogy.
The idea of origin stories in
general has a bad connotation to me. I am hopeful that Disney realizes
that you don't need to waste two hours telling the history of a character when
you can just jump into an adventure with an established character.
Part of the greatness about the
original trilogy is that they don't waste an entire film explain the origins of
the Empire and Rebellion; you just jump right into the thick of it.
I don't need to know why Han
Solo became a smuggler. If they play it right they will start with
him already an established smuggler avoiding Imperial cruisers and
finishing a job at the onset of the movie.
As for some wishful thinking, after
finishing said job he could be contacted about a big job where he's
smuggling secretive cargo with a huge payday, no questions asked (right up
Han's alley). His curiosity gets the best of him however and he has to
check what it is in the containers he shipping. Turns out he's
hauling Wookies into slavery, one of which would be Chewbacca. The idea
of transporting Wookies into a life of slavery doesn't sit well with Han so
he frees the Wookies and has a side kick for life in
Chewbacca. While opening the containers Han triggered a sensor that
alerted his employers and now he has them hot on his trail.
If you can't tell, I truly want
this movie to be excellent.
CASTING:
When Disney first acquired the
rights to Star Wars, the most prevalent name I read in rumors was that of
Zac Efron. Another name that came up in rumors almost as frequently was
that of Ryan Gosling.
Once again, we know that
neither one of them is going to be in Episode VII but that doesn't mean
that either of them wasn't approached about a role within the Star Wars
universe.
Both actors have a history with
Disney and have the looks to fill the role of Han Solo. If I had to guess
at this point I would say we'll be seeing Efron as Solo in 2018.
RED
FIVE:
STORY:
The name Red Five is a bit ambiguous
and for good reason at this point. With the project still several years
away from completion, Disney likely has a good idea as to what character
from the Star Wars universe will be Red Five but that it is still not
written in stone.
As for some background and history, Red
Five is the call signal of the fifth member of the Red Squadron in the Rebel
Alliance. It was the call signal that Luke Skywalker used during the
Battle of Yavin where he blew up the first Death Star as a member of the Red
Squadron but for this film we'll be looking at someone who held that call
signal prior to Luke's joining the Rebellion.
This movie will likely show the
Rebellion in its infancy and the formation of the Red Squadron while revolving
around the story of the character of Red Five.
The character that I alluded to
early most likely to be Red Five would be Wedge Antilles. Wedge flew
as Red 2 during the battle of Yavin and Red Leader during the Battle of
Endor. He's the one who piloted the X-Wing that helped to blow up
the second Death Star alongside Lando Calrissian. He's also the only
known pilot to survive both Death Star attacks.
The actor who portrayed Wedge
Antilles in Return of the Jedi, Dennis Lawson, recently stated that he was
approached to reprise the role of Wedge in Episode VII but declined.
CASTING:
With this film slated for 2020 it's
not realistic to know who would play the part of Wedge Antilles at
this point but I'm sure Disney will find someone in their early 20s to fit the
bill.
I'm hopeful that this movie bridges
the gap between Episode III and IV. I'd love to see Jimmy Smits reprise
his role of Bail Organa for starters and for us to get a more detailed view of
Alderaan.
We could also see younger
versions of characters such as Admiral Ackbar, Mon Mothma, and General Crix
Madine in supporting roles once again.
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