After an Impressive 'Rogue One' What's Next for 'Star Wars Stories'?
*This article may contain Spoilers to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story*
Yesterday Rogue One: A Star Wars Story premiered. The highly-anticipated film lived up to the hype in my opinion. From the earth-shattering CGI to the brilliant characters, Rogue One was a unique experiment. Taking the sacred Star Wars franchise and flipping it on its head. Although Rogue One distanced itself from the majority of Star Wars films, it still had nods to the original story and filmmaking. The backstory was deep and intelligent. The film also introduced a flurry of characters. I'm sure months from now will be reading books and comics about the adventures of Captain Cassian Andor and K-2SO, the survival of Jynn Erso, the heartbreak of Galen Erso, and the teachings and times of the force sensitive, Chirrut Îmwe. As much as Rogue One was daring it left some question marks.
Well We're in Good Hands… So Where Now?
Well the next scheduled Star Wars Story is the young Han Solo film. A film starring Alden Ehrenreich as the famous smuggler, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian and Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke in a unknown role. The LEGO Movie duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will be at the helm. Legendary Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jon will be penning the script.
The Han Solo film has more pressure then Rogue One. This film is dealing with a beloved character, where in Rogue One all the characters were new for the most part. If this film screws up, it could tarnish Han Solo the character. Or it could do the exact opposite. This film could enhance the story of Han Solo. This film could make us fall in love with the character all over again. Similar to how Rogue One enhanced the entire prequel trilogy.
Also like what we saw in Rogue One a little authenticity goes a long way. I believe the Han Solo film will be a success as long as it has a strong, powerful backstory. Could we possibly see characters introduced in this film that could pop up in the new trilogy? That is a possibility. Any Star Wars film has mass potential. The future of the anthology series is bright.
The third Star Wars Story film was originally planned to be a Boba Fett film. The film was going to be directed by Josh Trank (Fantastic Four). The film was going to focus on different bounty hunters not just Boba Fett. Plans fell through, and the project was canceled.
Although Lucasfilm didn't go through with the Boba Fett film. It is confirmed that there is a writer for the third Star Wars Story film. The third film will come out in 2020. There are over a million ideas Lucasfilm can do. At this rate it's likely to say we will be visiting the Star Wars universe at least once per year. As long as the original trilogy and the story trilogy continue to be successful.
Lucasfilm entered a world of new possibilities after executing Rogue One. The experiment paid off. Disney/Lucasfilm has found their next big creative storytelling cash cow.
Gareth Edwards did a phenomenal job with Rogue One. Hopefully he gets another shot at doing a Star Wars Stories film. I also wouldn't mind seeing JJ Abrams do a Star Wars Stories film.
The Star Wars phenomenon will only get stronger. I think the direction of the "Story" franchise should follow the lead of it's first film. Don't be afraid to take risks. The "Story" franchise needs to take us to different realms of the galaxy. It needs to tell the unknown stories. The "Stories" franchise could've also helped the new trilogy.
The legacy of Star Wars is in the right hands. If your a passionate fan of Star Wars you should be excited for the next couple of years.
Now I wait for Episode VIII after being in awe of Rogue One.
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