AnotherStar Warsproject has been taken off Lucasfilm’s slate. The film, which was going to be developed by J.D. Dillard, reportedly did not work out and Dillard is no longer attached to anyStar Warsprojects.
Star Warshas not had a theatrical entry since 2019’sStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The franchise has mostly lived on through televisionofferings likeStar Wars: Andor,which is currently airing its first season. The TV side of the franchise has mostly been centered aroundThe Mandalorianand, as such, mostly takes place about five years afterReturn of the Jedi.Other shows likeThe Bad Batch,Tales of the Jedi,andAndorhave taken place during the prequel era or during the “dark times” era of the Empire.
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While talking toThe Wrapabout his new filmDevotion,Dillard revealed hisStar Warsfilm was no longer moving forward, but “not for lack of trying,” as Dillard notes. He stated that he was still committed to a film set in space, but he also said that it would be an original work of his now, rather than being tied to theStar WarsIP. When asked what the movie would have “felt like,” Dillard told a story about an olderStar Warsvideo game titledTie Fighter.“My dad being an aviator, we had a bunch of flight simulators. I’m playing this game for months. And my dad’s flying it with me. And I’m like, ‘Man, this game is just so cool.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, you know, this game comes from a series of movies,'” Dillard recalled. “And I was like, ‘You’re kidding me.’ That is where I watched ‘Star Wars’ for the first time and realized the full scope of what it meant to world build because I’d been playing this pseudo-16-bit game.”
From there, Dillard pivoted to the sequel to 1991’sThe Rocketeerthat he was once tied to,The Return of the Rocketeer.He stated that that project did not work out either, and acknowledged needing a break from period aviation films. He also went on to say that, while he had once been loosely attached to it, he is not involved with theMichael B. Jordan’s Black Superman film.
Dillard did, however, say that J.J. Abrams (who is also working on the project) “totally has [his] email and phone number if that is ever to be a conversation.” Abrams has also ironically been heavily involved with the development of moreStar Warsprojects since the franchise was brought back for the Disney era. It was Abrams who worked ontwo out of the threeStar Warssequel films. Given that the two apparently have a close working relationship, perhaps Dillard will be involved withStar Warsagain one day.
Until then,Damon Lindelof’sStar Warsfilmwill reportedly be set in the sequel era, but won’t be continuing the Skywalker Saga. That film appears to be the furthest along in development in terms of theatrical offerings, given what news has come out about the movie. It will still be a while yet beforeStar Warsmakes its return to the big screen.
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