The Star Wars franchise is in a fascinating place right now. The past few years have been full of new releases, as Lucasfilm alternated between main installments and standalone films. But it's unclear what happens next, as Episode IX will end the Skywalker Saga, and there have been no official announcements regarding a future Star Wars Story. This is likely due to the lackluster success of Ron Howard's Solo, which saw some behind the scenes drama after Chris Miller and Phil Lord were fired from the project. Solo writer Jon Kasdan recently opened up about the making of the film on Twitter, and the chances of a sequel being produced by Lucasfilm:
To be honest, I think the challenge has much more to do with the foreign box office than the U.S. Personally, I think there are great Star Wars movies to be made that don't need to cost quite so much. Hopefully that will be the trend in the years to come, and maybe, just maybe that trend will allow us, one way or another, to tell more stories with Alden, Joonas, Emilia, and Donald. With those actors and Ron Howard, I would jump at the opportunity. Given the way Hollywood, and the culture at large, seem to run from anything labeled a disappointment, the odds seem like they're against it happening anytime soon. But, I suppose, Han wouldn't have it any other way.
As classy as this response is, it's certainly a bit bleak. It looks like no one involved in Solo: A Star Wars Story is expecting a sequel to the standalone film, although Jon Kasdan is keeping his fingers crossed for the future-- especially for the characters introduced in Ron Howard's entry into the galaxy far, far away.
Jon Kasdan's Tweet does make a great deal of sense, and essentially echoes what we've been hearing from the studio. While anticipation for Solo was at a fever pitch before it arrived in theaters, it ultimately was considered a box office failure. This is partly due to its poor performance internationally, as the Star Wars franchise as a whole doesn't resonate with audiences like Chinese moviegoers. And since it's considered the only box office bummer from the entire Star Wars franchise, it seems unlikely that Lucasfilm will move forward with possible sequel plans.
But with Star Wars: The Last Jedi's Rian Johnson developing his own trilogy, it seems like anything could happen. If another standalone movie is developed as a prequel, there are ways to bring in some elements of Solo. The most obvious seems like the Maul and his Crimson Dawn organization, therefore giving the opportunity for Emilia Clarke's Qi'ra to return as well. Additionally, a Jabba The Hutt movie might be a chance to bring Young Han and Lando back into the narrative.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is streaming digitally now, and will be available for home purchase on September 25th. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
