'Star Wars' Spinoff Films Have Reportedly Been Put On Pause — Sorry, Obi-Wan

Every character in the extended Star Wars cinematic universe has an excitable fanbase, which means that every new announcement by Disney and Lucasfilm comes with a side of possible disappointment. In this case, it's because plans for the rumored Star Wars spinoff films have reportedly been paused by Disney — at least, for now. Collider reported that an inside source confirmed the studio wants to focus on the upcoming Star Wars Episode IX film to close out Rey's saga, and a potential film trilogy to follow, instead of crafting spinoff films. Bustle reached out to Lucasfilms and Disney, but did not receive comment before time of publication. If true, it would mean that films like Solo: A Star Wars Story will be on the shelf for the foreseeable future. In other words, fans hoping for a Lando Calrissian spinoff, or an Obi-Wan Kenobi origin story, or even a feature-length look at Chewbacca's home planet, will have to wait a little longer.

Collider noted that while a Lando sequel starring Donald Glover is mostly fan conjecture right now, there were at least two spinoff films in process before this decision was made. An Obi-Wan film was reportedly in "active development" per the report, and the studio was thought to have a writer and director aboard for a future Boba Fett vehicle. However, the unnamed people attached to Obi-Wan film are, according to Collider, "no longer involved". Interestingly, most of these developments had been rumored, leaked, and essentially just shy of announced prior to the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story in May 2018.

The Han Solo-centric prequel had a long, rocky road to its release, and the box office numbers weren't exactly what the studio had expected. Whether lackluster reviews and disappointing ticket sales directly contributed to the studio's alleged decision to take a break from spinoffs remains unknown, though the insider that talked to Collider doesn't appear to have dissuaded them from the idea. Plus, in all fairness to Solo, the movie did not do badly by any means. According to Box Office Mojo, the film has grossed well over $344 million at the worldwide box office in less than one month (from its release on May 25 to June 21). What's more, while Star Wars films have recently enjoyed a holiday release schedule, Solo was released in May — competing against Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2 at the box office.

Fans may not have realized exactly how many spinoffs were in the works prior to this reported new decision. The probably-happening Boba Fett and Obi-Wan pictures appear to have been put on hold, and a Lando film seems off the table for the time being. In addition, it's possible that the studio hopes to move away from the one-off films entirely (like Solo and 2017's Rogue One), choosing instead to focus on Episode IX and future trilogies. Because, oh, are there some film trilogies to look forward to.

Additionally, news of the studio allegedly halting plans for Star Wars spinoffs should not affect Lucasfilms' other properties. The live-action television series helmed by Jon Favreau is still set for Disney's forthcoming streaming service, and could debut as early as Fall 2019. Star Wars Episode IX, which will conclude the trio of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, appears to be the studio's primary focus. After they launch the highly-anticipated conclusion, they'll turn their attentions to the next trio of films. So, again, there's a lot of Star Wars universe expansion happening — just maybe not in the directions fans were expecting.

Lucasfilm has also greenlit a new trio of films based on original characters and storylines from The Last Jedi's Rian Johnson — a project that is reportedly not affected by the decision. Separately from that, Game of Thrones show runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have been tapped for a new series of films for the franchise. So, don't fret; even without the individual anthology films, there's still lot of Star Wars content on the way.