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Star Wars' Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off is taking shape

Photo credit: Lucasfilm / Disney
Photo credit: Lucasfilm / Disney

From Digital Spy

Star Wars fans have long wanted one of the franchise's spinoffs to explore the lost adventures of Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Well, the Force is definitely with those fans.

Lucasfilm has started very early development on an Obi-Wan Kenobi-centric Star Wars Story with Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Aside from feature film hits like The Reader and The Hours, Daldry has also won a Tony Award for producing Billy Elliot: The Musical and more recently directed episodes of Netflix's The Crown.

Photo credit: Stefania D'Alessandro / Getty Images
Photo credit: Stefania D'Alessandro / Getty Images

( Stephen Daldry)

Since this project is in such an early stage, there's no indication of whether Obi-Wan will be played once again by Ewan McGregor or a completely new actor.

McGregor, who played Obi-Wan in the prequels, said this past spring that he'd be keen to explore more about the Jedi who mentored both Darth Vader and his son Luke Skywalker.

"There's no official offer, and I haven't met them about it or anything," McGregor admitted. "But I've always said that I'd be happy to do it if they wanted to do it. It would be a good segue between the last episode of the prequels and the new episodes.

"I think they've got films to make until the 2020s, so I don't think it's going to happen soon if it happens at all."

Photo credit: Disney
Photo credit: Disney

Lucasfilm is currently in production on an untitled Han Solo movie, which will serve as part of the Star Wars Story standalone anthology series. As THR notes, similar spin-offs for Yoda and Boba Fett have long been mooted.

At Star Wars Celebration earlier this year, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that she was "in the midst of discussions" about the next anthology movie and hoped to make an announcement before summer was out.

An Obi-Wan project would potentially move the Star Wars franchise away from the Skywalker saga, a prospect that Kennedy acknowledged is possible so long as it "inspires new ideas".


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