“Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” will continue the adventures of a new generation of beloved characters in the galaxy far, far away this Holiday season. While the new crew of Rey, Finn, and Poe have managed to build up a following all their own, sometimes the classic characters are just too interesting to ever be away for so long. Following the footsteps of “Rogue One” is a prequel spin-off film apart from the main saga, chronicling the adventure of space smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in his younger days, played by Alden Ehrenreich.
The movie has yet to premiere but already plans are in place for a new, similar “Star Wars” story, that of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Director in talks
As stated, even before the Han Solo prequel has yet to get off the ground, there are already preliminary talks underway as to the development of yet another “Star Wars” spin-off featuring the classic character, the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Disney and Lucasfilm had apparently already talked to the Academy Award nominated director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot), putting forth an offer to have him at the helm of this new project.
It should be noted that the directors of major blockbuster movies like the “Star Wars” saga and side-stories can wield considerable power and influence on the general production process.
Daldry will thus be in charge of story development and writing with the upper echelons of Lucasfilm if he accepts the assignment. It would be a remarkable change of pace from what Daldry has been doing, that is for sure. From his beginnings as a theatre director, Daldry would go on to direct drama films like “The Hours” and “The Reader.” He also worked on Netflix’s series “The Crown,” for which he also got an Emmy nomination.
Daldry is being represented by the Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
From novice to master to legend
Obi-Wan Kenobi was a prominent character in the overarching mythos of “Star Wars,” appearing in the 70s-80s original trilogy and the 90s-00s prequels, the latter of which were exclusively directed by the franchise creator George Lucas himself.
Kenobi began the sagas as a young and spirited student of the Jedi order, eventually maturing into a wise and powerful knight and master. He was portrayed originally by the late Sir Alec Guinness and in the prequel trilogy by Ewan McGregor.
There is yet to be any idea what the Obi-Wan “Star Wars” story might be all about, though it could cover either his time as a mentor to Anakin Skywalker, who would become Darth Vader, or detail his early years in exile following the rise of the Galactic Empire. For now, the truly concrete plans of Disney and Lucasfilm lie in the young Han Solo picture, scheduled for a 2018 premiere.
