The force is strong with ‘Star Wars’ news this month. Not only have things been slowly coming out about J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’, but some new developments concerning the spinoffs have surfaced as well. Earlier this month, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that there are at least three origin stories in the works that are separate from the new trilogy. Then, earlier this week, rumors circulated about what those films could be. Now, no matter what it’s about, we know who will be behind the first spinoff scheduled for 2016.
According to StarWars.com, the first ‘Star Wars’ stand-alone film, written by Gary Whitta, from Lucasfilm and Disney will be directed by Gareth Edwards and will be released on December 16, 2016. Edwards has shown the public that he can handle high-profile projects with great skill and unparalleled visuals as seen in ‘Monsters’ and ‘Godzilla’, but now he’ll take his skills to a galaxy far, far away. He expressed his excitement for the project in the announcement and potentially revealed what his movie might be about:
“Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life — join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited and honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm.”
Before we go on and speculate about the subject of his spinoff, know that the story is in good hands with writer Whitta. While he has film credits like ‘After Earth’ and ‘The Book of Eli’ that weren’t so loved among fans, his best work comes from the acclaimed and award-winning Telltale video game adaptation of ‘The Walking Dead’. He too shared his feelings of excitement in the post and proclaimed that this fulfills a life-long dream for him:
“From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, ‘Star Wars’ has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer. It is deeply special to me, so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a filmmaker as talented as Gareth, is literally a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.”
While no topic for their film has been revealed just yet, Edwards’ comments lead me to believe that they could be tackling a story involving the Rebel Alliance. That theory jives with current rumors as well, but you never know what the minds at Lucasfilm and Disney have in store until they actually announce it. For example, look at the cast of ‘Episode VII’. That roster was full of surprises, so we’re likely to be surprised when it comes to these spinoffs as well.
What do you think about Gareth Edwards and Gary Whitta joining the first ‘Star Wars’ stand-alone film as director and writer? Based on their previous work, are you excited to see what they have in store for a galaxy far, far away? And of course, what do you think their spinoff will be about? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
