After the grand finale of the Skywalker saga with ‘Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker’ in 2019, many other cinematic adventures from the galaxy far, far away were announced. However, none have been released since, as some have been put on the back burner (such as a new trilogy from “Star Wars 8” creator Rian Johnson) and others have been scrapped entirely.
The latter also includes a ‘Star Wars’ project from ‘Game Of Thrones’ creators David Benioff and DB Weiss, which would also include several films and which the two wanted to develop after the end of their fantasy hit. In the end, nothing came of it for various reasons. The fact that the finale of ‘Game Of Thrones’ received a very mixed reception and that Benioff and Weiss also signed a lucrative exclusive deal with Disney competitor Netflix, which took full ownership of them, may also have played a role. The real reason for the failure is particularly strange from today’s perspective…
A story about the first Jedi
In a longer background report from the Speaking about Benioff and Weiss’ upcoming Netflix sci-fi mammoth series “3 Body Problem,” the duo spoke for the first time in more detail about their canceled “Star Wars” project. Among other things, they also confirmed the intended story of the films, which had been rumored years ago:
“We wanted to do The First Jedi,” they explained . “Basically it would be about how and why the Jedi Order and the first lightsaber came into being.” Joking to their friend and “3 Body Problem” co-producer Rian Johnson, they then added, “We were really annoyed when he called his movie ‘The Last Jedi.’ He completely destroyed the obvious title for what we were working on.
Lucasfilm wasn’t interested in the first Jedi at the time, but it is now
Of course, that doesn’t explain why the Benioff/Weiss films ultimately came to nothing. According to Benioff, in addition to the points mentioned above, this is much simpler: “Lucasfilm ultimately didn’t want a story about the first Jedi. We had a very specific story idea in mind and ultimately they decided against it. Which we completely understand. It’s their company and their brand, and we weren’t the droids they were looking for.”
Interesting enough There appears to have been a rethink at ‘Star Wars’ studio Lucasfilm and its parent company Disney. Because the origins of the Jedi Order will actually be the subject of one of the upcoming “Star Wars” movieswhich is no longer realized by Benioff and Weiss, but by ‘Logan’ and ‘Indiana Jones 5’ director James Mangold.
In the adventure with the working title ‘Dawn Of The Jedi’, which should take place approximately 25,000 years before the Skywalker saga, we will actually get to know the first Jedi. It’s unclear whether Lucasfilm was generally more open to the idea, whether the specific Benioff/Weiss pitch was simply unconvincing, or whether other reasons played a role in the rejection at the time.
This continues with “Star Wars” in theaters
The ‘Dawn Of The Jedi’ project is part of four ‘Star Wars’ films currently being planned that will continue the cult franchise on the big screen in the coming years after a long hiatus in cinemas. First up is Jon Favreau’s recently announced “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” which continues the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” (possibly in lieu of a fourth season).
And another “Star Wars” movie, directed by Dave Filoni, would be a sequel to “The Mandalorian,” but act as a kind of grand conclusion to the entire Mando-verse, which also includes “Ahsoka” and “The Book or Boba’ appearance. Fett”. And finally, there is a project that can best be described as “Star Wars 10”. In it, Rey (Daisy Ridley) wants to rebuild the Jedi Order a few years after “Star Wars 9.”