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The Obi-Wan spinoff is in the works,
and we're rounding up all of the clues for you guys.
Yesterday the Hollywood Reporter
did some top notch Hollywood reporting
when they broke the news that director Stephen Daldry,
best known for his work on Billy Elliot and The Hours,
was in talks with Disney
to helm an Obi-Wan Kenobi standalone adventure.
The film is still in the Padawan stages of development,
but if the project were to move forward,
Daldry would oversee the script writing process
along with the top brass at Lucasfilm.
Obi-Wan is, of course, one of the most beloved characters
in the entire Star Wars canon,
so it always seemed like just a matter of time
before he got his own film,
but what exactly that film could be about
is a much trickier question to answer.
From Jedi in training to Force ghost,
Kenobi's legacy stretches the entire span
of the Star Wars saga.
His solo escapades could fit pretty much anywhere
from the Old Republic to the new Resistance.
For instance, if Lucasfilm wanted to keep things current,
they could do an Obi-Wan film set
during the sequel trilogy
where he's roaming the galaxy as a Force ghost.
We already heard his voice in Rey's Force vision
from The Force Awakens,
so we know he's probably still out there somewhere
in shiny blue, translucent form.
But somehow, we doubt Disney is going to be keen
on dumping $200 million
into a movie where the hero is a dead dude
who just goes around telling other people
to use the Force.
- [Obi-Wan] Use the Force, Luke.
- Another option is a young Obi-Wan movie,
taking us back to his pre-Jedi days,
showing us the first time he swung a lightsaber,
used the Force,
and of course, we gotta see that infamous first meeting
with Qui-Gon Jinn,
except now that we say that out loud,
that does seem to be veering pretty, pretty,
pretty hard into Phantom Menace territory.
Sure, the current crew at Lucasfilm
will probably have the good sense
to leave out the Gungans,
but the point remains
we've already seen the Jedi Knight origin story
from Anakin's perspective,
and it might have been the dullest entry
in the entire series.
No need to rehash where there wasn't really a reason
to hash it in the first place,
so that pretty much leaves only one major section
of Obi-Wan's life left to explore,
the 19 year span between Revenge of the Sith
and A New Hope.
It's where all of the standalone stories
have taken place so far,
so it would make sense that Lucasfilm
would continue this trend,
and let's not forget that this is Star Wars, after all.
You probably want to set these spin offs
during the actual Star Wars,
not during all the trade negotiations
and Senate hearings that lead up to those wars.
Oh, prequel burn.
"But Jessica, you suck.
"I love the prequels." (murmuring)
Listen, don't get too bent out of shape,
all of you millennial prequel defenders out there.
You're fine to enjoy them
because this also means, however,
that the Obi-Wan standalone
will be able to use one of the best elements.
Jimmy Smits, Papa Bail Organa is coming back, baby,
but it will also allow them to use
the second best part of the prequels, Ewan McGregor.
Pretty much everyone agreed
McGregor was the perfect choice
to take over the role from the late Alec Guinness,
just like everyone also agreed
that he deserved a much better movie
to play the part in,
and now that the actor has aged up a bit,
he's at the perfect place
to tackle the role of a washed up,
middle age Jedi hermit.
We definitely think the film will take us
to Tatooine during the days
when Ben was watching over Luke from afar,
but what will the exact plot be?
Well, we could see it going a few ways.
They could take a page out of Marvel Star Wars comics
that feature a recurring Journals of Ben Kenobi segment
where he writes about his former exploits
from his desert hovel.
Now this film could follow his adventures on Tatooine
while watching over Luke
or protecting the locals from the scum and villainy
as he attempts to hide his Jedi presence from the Empire.
The other option is that it's an adventure
that takes him out of retirement.
We could see Bail Organa try to bring Ben out of hiding
for a secret mission.
He starts the film despondent and alone,
having to turn his back on the Jedi way,
but when the burgeoning rebellion needs his help,
he finds his way back to the Force,
setting him up to become the seasoned Jedi master
we know from A New Hope.
But what do you folks think?
Are you excited for an Obi-Wan movie?
What would you like to see happen in it,
and would you want to see a Dexter Jettster cameo?
Let's discuss,
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