With creepy-looking characters and its share of dark storylines, the Star Wars franchise has given fans some pretty frightening moments over the years. While it’s safe to say it lives firmly in the sci-fi and space fantasy genres, the setting and themes of the epic series wouldn’t be completely out of place with more overt horror themes. At least one Hollywood filmmaker seems game to try to take one of its productions in a spookier direction And given what he’s done for the horror genre on Netflix, Midnight Mass’ Mike Flanagan might be just the right man for the job.
If there’s anyone who knows how to take a seemingly familiar setting and make it a little more sinister, it’s Mike Flanagan. With Hush, Doctor Sleep, The Haunting series, and Midnight Mass, the writer and director has shown an uncanny aptitude for horror -- both in terms of adapting well-known stories and creating his own. Now, a new form of inspiration has struck, and according to a recent Twitter post, it’s pointing him in a seemingly unlikely direction:
Got woken up by the earthquake this morning, sat there for a few minutes just thinking "I'd really love to make a horror movie in the STAR WARS universe..."October 24, 2021
It’s not clear exactly why the earthquake shook the idea of making a Star Wars horror movie loose in his brain. But now that the filmmaker has put it out into the universe, it’s hard not to imagine the possibilities. While he may not seem like an immediate fit for the franchise, he often delves into themes that are pretty reminiscent of what we see in the George Lucas-created franchise. There’s the struggle to reconcile dark and light inside of a person, which we’ve seen manifest in a number of his past projects. He’s also proven he can easily pull off a story that contains more fantastical elements as well.
There’s no way of knowing yet whether the creative already has a specific idea in mind, or just likes the idea of blending horror into the cosmic landscape. Needless to say, he wouldn’t have to dig very far into Star Wars lore to find inspiration for a scary story to tell. Previous films in the series have already introduced fans to some pretty creepy locations -- from the caves of Ahch-To and Dagobah to the Nightsisters’ Lair. The series has played host to plenty of scary characters -- some monstrous by appearance, others by demeanor.
How feasible is it for the Gerald's Game director's earthquake-induced idea to become a reality? Well, it’s hard to say for sure -- Disney already has multiple Star Wars films and series in the pipeline. However, after the success of The Mandalorian and plenty of buzz for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series and Ahsoka, the company could be amenable to taking the franchise further.
The last question is whether it’s even logistically possible for Mike Flanagan to take on another project. He’s been prolific over the last few years, crafting a new series for Netflix two out of the last three years, plus a feature-length film. However, he has already made it clear he is willing to branch out into well-known franchises in the future. He has yet to announce his next project after he finishes post-production on the upcoming series The Midnight Club. So this may be the perfect time for him to launch his frightening imagination into a galaxy far, far away.
