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Rumor: Lucasfilm Has 9 Star Wars Movies In Development
Tom Kane, a prominent voice actor on The Clone Wars animated series, says Lucasfilm is currently developing nine new Star Wars films. As difficult as it is to believe, the studio is already approaching the end of their current slate of releases in the Disney era. After the release of Solo last month, Episode IX is the only one remaining. J.J. Abrams begins production on the sequel trilogy finale in July, well ahead of its December 2019 release date. After that, the future of Star Wars is a mystery.
Lucasfilm has officially confirmed projects like Rian Johnson's new trilogy and a series from David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, but there are also constant rumors about other movies. Over the past year, both the Obi-Wan and Boba Fett standalone films have gained traction by reportedly landing directors, and many are curious to see what else Lucasfilm has up its sleeve. From the sound of things, they aren't slowing down.
Star Wars podcaster Aaron Goins attended Virginia All-Star Comic Con, where he had the opportunity to speak to Kane (who voiced Yoda on The Clone Wars). Interestingly enough, Kane revealed there are several Star Wars films in the works, though none of them center on the wise old Jedi Master:
It is worth wondering how much information Kane actually has about Lucasfilm's inner workings, but given his history with the studio, it's feasible he's hears some rumblings about what's in store. Honestly, nine isn't that farfetched of a number. Johnson's trilogy accounts for three, and the Benioff & Weiss project (which is classified as a series) will likely run for three or more. In addition to the unannounced Obi-Wan and Boba Fett films, there could be some more mystery spinoffs centering on legacy characters (Lando is someone Lucasfilm would like to pursue, allegedly). It'll be interesting to see if Solo's underwhelming box office impacts the studio's decision making in regards to their film slate. Perhaps some of these "individual character stories" won't see the light of day if it's determined there isn't a large enough market for them. Solo's biggest issue was its ballooning budget, but even if it stayed on-course, $339.5 million worldwide isn't anything to write home about.
The biggest question is when exactly Lucasfilm will announce and/or date these movies. Star Wars Celebration 2019, which takes place in April 2019, would be an ideal time to make some reveals. Obviously, Episode IX will be a centerpiece of the convention, but Lucasfilm would be wise to drum up anticipation for what's around the corner. And with no Star Wars movie scheduled for 2020 and beyond, the studio is going to have to do something sooner or later. Hopefully, we have a clear picture of where the galaxy's headed in the near future.
