Disney Cancels Anticipated Star Wars Prequel Series
There has been a great disturbance in the Force as if millions of fans suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly really bummed out. After months of uncertainty and speculation, filmmaker Justin Simien has confirmed that the Star Wars: Lando spinoff series will not be happening. The Donald Glover-led production was set to become the latest entry into the Star Wars Universe for Disney+ programming.
Production Hell
News of the Star Wars: Lando series was first announced back in December 2020. The show was set to follow Lando Calrissian’s exploits as he transforms from a money-hungry smuggler to eventually becoming a key figure in the Resistance. With characters such as Obi-Wan and Boba Fett getting their own recent spin-off series, it only made sense for another fan-favorite to get the same treatment.
At We Least We Got Glover In Solo
Fans first got a taste of Glover’s depiction of the popular Star Wars character when he was a supporting character in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Glover earned high praise for his ability to capture Billy Dee William’s personality and charisma from the original trilogy. With a popular actor on board and plenty of excitement from fans, it seemed like nothing could get in the way of Star Wars: Lando.
However, in a conversation with Collider, Simien admits that he knew that Star Wars: Lando was in trouble pretty early on. “It became clear. They probably won’t want me to say this, but I knew it was official when I read it in the trades,” Simien says. “But the writing was super on the wall.”
Disney Hasn’t Explained What Happened
Even with Disney+ pulling the plug on the spin-off series, there has never been any concrete explanation as to why. Simien explains that his Star Wars show was almost completely fleshed out when he got the news. “It was pretty developed. Yeah, there was a Bible, there was concept art, there were scripts, but it just wasn’t meant to be,” he says.
As for Simien, he still has plenty of work to do to keep him busy in the foreseeable future, even with the sudden cancelation of Star Wars: Lando. He is currently promoting Hollywood Black, and his MGM+ docuseries examines race and representation in Hollywood. The docuseries is based on the novel Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers written by historian Donald Bogle.
From Wars To Trek
Simien will also be able to flex his sci-fi muscles with his upcoming Star Trek comedy series. Although the show remains untitled, it was first announced at the San Diego Comic-Con. The show will follow a group of Federation outsiders who work on a luxurious resort planet.
Even with the Star Wars: Lando series getting the ax at Disney+, there is still hope for fans. In July 2023, Stephen Glover joined his brother Donald Glover to take over the project. But instead of working on a series, the project will be a feature film.
Someone Get Donald Glover A New Sci-Fi Project
In an appearance on the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, Stephen Glover first spoke about the possible Star Wars: Lando film. But during the September 2023 episode, Glover kept his cards close to his chest. “It’s not even a show, Glover explained. “The idea right now is to do a movie. Right now, because of the strike, it’s kind of like telephone, all of the information.”
Despite the admission that Star Wars: Lando has a new life in the movie, little is known about the plot details. The only information that Star Wars fans can cling to is that Lucasfilm has confirmed the movie’s existence. So, for now, a new hope to see Lando Calrissian again is better than no hope at all.
Source: Collider
