Lucasfilm and the Disney era of Star Wars have had a contentious relationship in the development and execution of their feature films. We’ve seen plenty of examples of this with Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi movies between retooled as Disney+ shows as they ditched the A Star Wars Story wave of movies entirely after Solo: A Star Wars Story didn’t do stellar business at the box office.
There is a new rumor/report coming from Matthew Belloni (former The Hollywood Reporter editor) at Puck stating that both Patty Jenkins’ Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (only announced last December) and Rian Johnson’s original trilogy have been shelved at Lucasfilm.
The reason for Rogue Squadron seems to be down to Jenkins and Lucasfilm brass being unable to agree upon a script. Filming had been expected to begin next year at Pinewood Studios UK and this would mean that the studio might have to select a replacement project to appease Disney or forego their December 2023 release spot for the next Star Wars movie.
I talked to a few insiders this week that said the real culprit was the dreaded “creative differences”; specifically, Jenkins couldn’t agree on the script with Lucasfilm executives, including senior V.P. Michelle Rejwan. That’s not unusual, of course, but it’s a laughably recurring problem at Lucasfilm under president Kathleen Kennedy, say agents: Top filmmakers are dying to make a Star Wars movie—until they sign on and experience the micromanagement and plot-point-by-committee process. It happened to the Game of Thrones guys, David Benioff and Dan Weiss, who were hired to create a new trilogy but bailed. It also happened to Rian Johnson, writer and director of 2017’s The Last Jedi, whose own planned trilogy was shelved.
It’s been rumored for ages that Johnson’s trilogy has been scrapped only for the filmmaker to debunk reports online and unclear if this rumbling is real or not. Time will tell.
Could it be a case of Disney and Lucasfilm caving to the Fandom Menace? The vocal minority within the Star Wars fandom had been quite vocal of their distaste for Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi and the idea of a female director handling a Star Wars film or anything female-centric.
To be fair, the outlet doesn’t have the most favorable opinion of Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy if their headline is any indication, which skews a bit hyperbolic. They’re actively pushing the idea of removing her from the Star Wars franchise, despite the report also mentioning a contract extension adding another three years to her tenure at Lucasfilm, so her removal won’t be happening.
Last December, Lucasfilm announced at the Disney Investors Day presentation that Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins would be helming a new Star Wars movie that was expected to begin shooting next year as pre-production had been moving along and they, later on, hired screenwriter Matthew Robinson to pen the script.
The next Star Wars feature film will be Rogue Squadron — directed by Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman franchise). The story will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy.
The filmmaker had stated to IGN that the project wouldn’t be a direct adaptation of the books or video games, but based on an original idea.
JENKINS: “[In the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie] we’re doing something original with great influence from the games and the books. There’s a lot of things being acknowledged and understood about the greatness of all of those things, but yes, it’s an original story and I’m so psyched to do it.”
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Lucasfilm is delaying Rogue Squadron and possibly won’t even start shooting until 2023, Jenkins seemingly hasn’t exited the movie.
While “scheduling issues” are being blamed for the delays, the report doesn’t indicate what project is actually causing problems. Patty Jenkins is attached to direct Gal Gadot in Cleopatra and Wonder Woman 3.
The only problem with that, Gadot is expected to shoot Disney’s Snow White next after landing the Evil Queen part, which suggests that the scheduling issues could be a cover for something else probably that the script not being ready to go into production.
Rogue Squadron had been given a release date of December 22, 2023, and they suggest that date could still be used. Another Star Wars project could swoop in, however, what that could be hasn’t been announced by major trades or Lucasfilm there are multiple things in various stages of development.
The Ronin has been able to confirm that Lucasfilm’s next big Star Wars film, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, has added production designer Aline Bonetto. Director Patty Jenkins was announced for the project back in December and has since revealed to IGN that Rogue Squadron won’t be based on existing books or video games.
JENKINS: “[In the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie] we’re doing something original with great influence from the games and the books. There’s a lot of things being acknowledged and understood about the greatness of all of those things, but yes, it’s an original story and I’m so psyched to do it.”
Oddly enough, a screenwriter hasn’t been officially announced.
The next Star Wars feature film will be Rogue Squadron — directed by Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman franchise). The story will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy.
Bonetto previously worked with director Patty Jenkins on Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984.
We wouldn’t be terribly shocked if Wonder Woman cinematographer Matthew Jensen also joined the new Star Wars film after recently working on Season 2 of The Mandalorian. Jensen was the cinematographer for episodes such as The Believer, The Siege, and The Heiress.
Filming is assumed to be taking place at Pinewood Studios UK, the previous primary filming location of the Disney-era Star Wars films. Jenkins isn’t a stranger to productions made in England as she shot the last two Wonder Woman movies at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Watford, England.
With Rogue Squadron in pre-production, casting the latest Star Wars film is going to be the studio’s next big challenge.
Jenkins is still attached to direct Wonder Woman 3 as well, but Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is going to be shot next.
The Star Wars franchise is also currently focusing on a wave of new television shows such as The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, Lando, The Acolyte, and Rangers of The New Republic. Thor: Love & Thunder director Taika Waititi is writing and directing his own untitled Star Wars film and Rian Johnson is said to be still involved with developing a trilogy of original films.
Disney has officially given Star Wars: Rogue Squadron a release date of December 22, 2023.
Back on Star Wars Day aka May The Fourth, we ran an extensive look at the upcoming live-action Star Wars projects. There were a couple of tidbits we’ve learned since then and figured we’d do a follow-up.
It’s well known that active Lucasfilm productions include The Book of Boba Fett (California), Andor (United Kingdom), Willow (Wales), and Obi-Wan Kenobi (California). There is an assumption that things such as Rangers of The New Republic (Jon Favreau set as series showrunner), Ahsoka, and the third season of The Mandalorian will shoot in California given the production hub there seems to be the home base for Disney+ productions from Favreau/Filoni.
Indiana Jones 5 will be shot in the United Kingdom with James Mangold (Cop Land, Logan) doing double duty as both screenwriter and director after Steven Spielberg exited. Its confirmed production team includes production designer Adam Stockhausen (The French Dispatch, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Widows, Ready Player One), and reuniting with James is cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (Ford v Ferrari, Walk The Line, 3: 10 To Yuma). The untitled sequel’s cast so far includes franchise star Harrison Ford (said to be his final outing as Indy), British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Fleabag), Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Fantastic Beasts 3, Casino Royale, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Another Round), and German actor Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong, Valkyrie, Blade II). The most recent additions are Boyd Holbrook (Narcos, Logan, The Predator) and Shaunette Renée Wilson (The Resident), as reported by Deadline.
James Mangold may have teased the 1960s as the setting on social media as concrete plot details have been kept under wraps. The fifth installment is officially set for a release in theaters on July 29, 2022.
The Andor series is seeming going to get a Season 2.
Back in March 2019, I was the first to break the news that Lucasfilm was looking to move forward with a second season of The Mandalorian ahead of Star Wars Celebration 2019. Well, I’m also hearing Andor is indeed aiming for multiple seasons as Season 2 is on the table, if not already in development by the creative team. We’re treating as a rumor until there is announcement from Disney/Lucasfilm.
A second season was sort of teased by K-2SO actor Alan Tudyk when he told Collider that his smart-mouthed droid was removed from Season 1 after showrunner Tony Gilroy was brought-on to help with writing.
It remains to be seen if Lucasfilm will attempt to launch splinter/spinoff shows based on the era that Andor takes place as they did with The Mandalorian spinoffs The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Rangers of The New Republic.
Andor’s Season 1 creative team includes directors Toby Haynes (Doctor Who, Utopia), Susanna White (Our Kind of Traitor), and Benjamin Caron (The Crown) alongside a stellar writing team with Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy, Beau Willimon, and Stephen Schiff.
The first season will debut in 2022 on Disney+ exclusively.
Three more Lucasfilm productions are heading to the United Kingdom with the following limited liability corporations The Ronin has uncovered being recently established by the studio. You can see those companies listed below.
GHOST TRUCK 6 UK LIMITED
BLUE STOCKINGS UK LIMITED
ACE OF HEARTS UK LIMITED
The fact they were just created would mean this would rule out projects in pre-production or currently filming such as the Willow series, James Mangold’s Indiana Jones 5, and Andor series.
At least one of the three companies is likely linked to Patty Jenkins‘ upcoming Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, the next big Star Wars film should begin shooting by 2022 to hit the December 22, 2023 release date. All of the Disney-era Star Wars films have been shot in the London era making it extremely likely that the next film will continue that established tradition. Patty isn’t new to massive productions shot across the pond, as the filmmaker shot the first two Wonder Woman films on the stages of Warner Bros. Studios in Watford, England.
Patty is attached to direct Wonder Woman 3 for Warner Bros. but likely won’t be next for her.
The listing of Ghost Truck 6 based on the name alone might be recognizable to Star Wars fans as a potential nod to Star Wars: Rebels, as the ship is called Ghost (featured in live-action projects) and there just happens to be six crew members. However, it’s speculation based on the name as there hasn’t been anyone official confirmation from Lucasfilm that a series will focus on Rebels characters, despite rumblings of the Ahsoka series potentially including them after her being on a mission to find Grand Admiral Thrawn was revealed in the character’s episode in The Mandalorian. The Ghost was spotted in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Ace of Hearts might be the Lando series given the character’s connection to gambling and seduction, then again, could be meant for something else like Rogue Squadron, Children of Blood & Bone, or the High Republic-set series The Acolyte.
It looks like Rian Johnson himself has revealed in a chat with Sariah Wilson with that he’s indeed still working on his new Star Wars trilogy. This comes after the December update from Lucasfilm concerning their Star Wars projects failed to give us an update on the status of Johnson’s trilogy. However, it sounds like he’s still making them but his Knives Out sequel is the priority at the moment.
WILSON: “Yes, Rian’s SW trilogy is still on. No dates or timelines because he has other projects going on, but it is happening.”
This is how Lucasfilm described the trilogy when they first announced it’s development back in 2017.
Lucasfilm is excited to announce that Johnson will create a brand-new Star Wars trilogy, the first of which he is also set to write and direct, with longtime collaborator Ram Bergman onboard to produce.
As writer-director of The Last Jedi, Johnson conceived and realized a powerful film of which Lucasfilm and Disney are immensely proud. In shepherding this new trilogy, which is separate from the episodic Skywalker saga, Johnson will introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.
Concerning the feature films, if the December presentation is to be believed Patty Jenkins’ Star Wars: Rogue Squadron would be the next project to go into production. While it’s a possible toss-up between Taika Waititi’s film (may have lost screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns) and this mysterious project from Rian. There have been multiple rumblings that either the studio or Johnson himself has moved on, but these have always been met with denials and this update seemingly is coming from Johnson himself. It’s worth mentioning a handful of Star Wars films haven’t reached the finish line and likely has people wondering if the trilogy will ever get made given how long ago it was announced.
The Book of Boba Fett and Andor are currently in production with Kenobi about to start filming in the late spring. Pedro Pascal might be a little busy shooting HBO’s The Last of Us and could suggest he’s been given a window to shoot something else before Season 3 of The Mandalorian beings.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see what exactly Rian is making and when that first installment will get in front of cameras.
Despite some wishy-washy comments made by Patty Jenkins during the promotion of Wonder Woman 1984 about possibly not coming back to make a third film, the filmmaker is officially returning for Wonder Woman 3, an announcement that been expected since the success of the first film. The studio adhering to her demand of a traditional theatrical release as well.
The announcement made by the studio hit multiple trade outlets including Variety.
Gal Gadot is also returning with Jenkins writing and directing the third installment of their trilogy.
There is still an expectation this third film will be set in the present as it had been rumored going back to the first film that the first two movies would be period projects with the third film using a contemporary setting. The scale could also be increased. It’ll be interesting to see if they will attempt to make a crossover with other DC Comics heroes since a bunch are running around in modern times and could open the door for Diana to team-up with Jason Momoa’s Aquaman or the film could even have a connection to Ava DuVernay’s New Gods movie via Granny Goodness.
Using the term “fast-tracking” is a little misleading as Jenkins is busy with her Cleopatra film for Paramount Pictures and recently was announced for Disney’s Star Wars: Rogue Squadron. The Star Wars pic is expected to being shooting in 2022 as it has a release date of December 22, 2023 and there could be a year’s worth of prep/development for that project giving it’s scale. Seeing Patty jump into making a massive studio film beforehand like Wonder Woman 3 when the pandemic is expected to continue well into 2021, seems like a fan wish rather than a reality given the logistical nightmare that would end up becoming.
In theory, Warner Bros. may have to wait until Patty has finished-up on Star Wars: RogueSquadron since that deal seemingly was secured first.
However, this news should relieve fans that have caught the wave of comments from Jenkins about taking a pause on the Wonder Woman franchise.
If Patty Jenkins ever decided to tackle other superheroes beyond Wonder Woman, we now have a pretty good idea of who she’d want to use. As a fan on Twitter has asked Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins that very question and her answer consisted of Superman, Spider-Man, and even Black Widow.
JENKINS: “Thank you for the question. Probably Superman, Spiderman, or Black Widow! So much potential with all of them, always.”
Thank you for the question. Probably Superman, Spiderman or Black Widow! So much potential with all of them, always. https://t.co/zDtxgZuwM9
You might remember that Patty Jenkins is currently assigned to direct Star Wars: Rogue Squadron for Lucasfilm making her part of that family of studios under the Disney umbrella. It’s expected to begin production sometime before the end of 2022 as the release date is set for December 22, 2023.
There are a handful of examples of crossovers between Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios with Thor franchise’s Taika Waititi tackling both The Mandalorian and an untitled live-action feature film. Also, Ant-Man trilogy director Peyton Reed ended up directing two episodes in Season 2 even the emotional season finale. We can’t forget that Jon Favreau, who help usher-in the Marvel Cinematic Universe via Iron Man and Iron Man 2, spearheaded The Mandalorian series with Dave Filoni, producing three spinoffs that include The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Rangers of The New Republic. Jon also continues to play the role of Happy Hogun, most recently appearing in the post-Avengers: Endgame film Spider-Man: Far From Home back in 2019.
Despite rumors, there hasn’t been any official word of how Warner Bros. would like to pursue another Superman film beyond having the character potentially have cameos in other projects. There had been development on a Supergirl film but that seemingly has stalled.
Concerning Spider-Man, we don’t know if Sony/Marvel will extend their production deal despite some signals that could be happening behind closed doors as Olivia Wilde‘s Spider-Woman movie could be Sony/Marvel co-production. With Spider-Man 3 director Jon Watts announced for Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot there is now an expectation he could be moving on to make a trilogy there making it less likely he’d return to make Spider-Man 4 and beyond leaving room for a new director to make a second trilogy, that’s if Sony/Marvel can play nice for another batch of movies.
Having Patty get involved with Black Widow is an interesting proposition as it seems like Florence Pugh may end up taking that mantle as Yelena Belova in future MCU projects. Such as her reported involvement in the upcoming Hawkeye series that will be airing on Disney+ in late 2021. Yelena could lead a Black Widow franchise of films moving forward because of the death of Natasha during the events of Avengers: Endgame.
I think it’ll be a long time before we know for sure if Patty will make Wonder Woman 3 or any other superhero films given the next couple of years will be dedicated to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.
It was exciting to learn last week during the Lucasfilm presentation, at Disney Investor Day, that Patty Jenkins would become the first female director to tackle a Star Wars film with Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and she’s given a little more insight to what they’re planning to do with the sci-fi adventure film.
The next Star Wars feature film will be Rogue Squadron — directed by Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman franchise). The story will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy.
Patty spoke exclusively with IGN and revealed while Rogue Squadron will be an original project rather than a direct adaptation of existing stories within the Star Wars universe, but will still have “great influence” from the games and books.
JENKINS: “[In the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie] we’re doing something original with great influence from the games and the books. There’s a lot of things being acknowledged and understood about the greatness of all of those things, but yes, it’s an original story and I’m so psyched to do it.”
It’s not shocking the studio is looking to focus on pilots as the best scenes from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Last Jedi were the spectacular space battles enhanced by modern special effects.
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron will be released on December 22nd, 2023 and will likely between shooting sometime in 2022.
I’ll be keeping my fingers-crossed that Patty and Lucasfilm will consider adding Legends pilot Dash Rendar aka Rogue Twelve for the new film.
The X-Wing pilot book series had 10 installments which consists of the following titles:
Rogue Squadron (1996), Wedge’s Gamble (1996), The Krytos Trap (1996), The Bacta War (1997) -Wraith Squadron (1998), Iron Fist (1998), Solo Command (1999), Isard’s Revenge (1999), Starfighters of Adumar (1999), and Mercy Kill (2012).
The run of video games included Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (1998), Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (2001), and Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike (2003).
Earlier in the year, Lucasfilm and EA released the video game Star Wars: Squadron.
On Thursday we got a massive amount of information all at once and one of the big highlights was all the Star Wars updates from Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy. The news included brand new films and television shows along with the official return of prequel actor Hayden Christiensen in the role of Darth Vader.
Here is a rundown of the big news revealed at the event by Kennedy and Lucasfilm.
ROGUE SQUADRON – The next Star Wars feature film will be Rogue Squadron — directed by Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman franchise). The story will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy.
I’ll be hopeful that Legends pilot Dash Rendar from Star Wars: Shadows of The Empire is considered for the project given he used the call-sign Rogue Twelve and can finally join Star Wars canon.
Rogue Squadron is set for release on December 22, 2023.
KENNEDY: “Patty has established herself as one of the top directors working in the film industry today. She’s a visionary who knows how to strike the balance between action and heart, and I can’t wait to see what she does in the Star Wars galaxy.”
JENKINS: “It’s been a lifelong dream as a filmmaker to one day make a great fighter pilot film. As the daughter of a great fighter pilot myself, some of the best memories of my life are of seeing my father’s squadron take off in their F4s every morning, and hearing and feeling the awe-inspiring power and grace. When he passed away in service to this country it ignited a burning desire to one day channel all of those emotions into one great film. When the perfect story arrived in combination with another true love of mine, the incomparable world of Star Wars, I knew I’d finally found my next film. I’m extremely honored and excited to take it on, and grateful to Lucasfilm, Disney, and the fans for extending that thrill to me.”
OBI-WAN KENOBI –Ewan McGregor returns in the iconic role of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi for a special event series on Disney+. Officially titled Obi-Wan Kenobi, the series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where he faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. The series is directed by Deborah Chow, who helmed memorable episodes of The Mandalorian,Season 1, and features the return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader.
Despite previous rumblings of filming starting next month, Kennedy confirmed it won’t begin until March.
CHRISTIENSEN: “It was such an incredible journey playing Anakin Skywalker. Of course, Anakin and Obi-Wan weren’t on the greatest of terms when we last saw them… It will be interesting to see what an amazing director like Deborah Chow has in store for us all. I’m excited to work with Ewan again. It feels good to be back.”
AHSOKA – After making her long awaited live-action debut in The Mandalorian, Ahsoka Tano’s story, written by Dave Filoni, will continue in a limited series starring Rosario Dawson and executive produced by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau.
After appearing in The Mandalorian, she revealed a search for Star Wars: Rebels villain Grand Admiral Thrawn and this likely means he could be part of show alongside the return of characters like Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger. We wouldn’t be shocked if Filoni ends up directing the bulk of the episodes.
ANDOR –Andor, a tense nail-biting spy thriller created by Tony Gilroy, is set to arrive on Disney+ in 2022. Diego Luna, reprising the role of rebel spy Cassian Andor from Rogue One, will be joined by a fantastic new cast that includes Stellan Skarsgard, Adria Arjona, FionaShaw, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, and Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma. Production kicked off three weeks ago in London.
They showed a sizzle reel that had behind the scenes footage and concept artwork.
THE ACOLYTE – Leslye Headland, Emmy Award-nominated creator of the mind-bending series Russian Doll, brings a new Star Wars series to Disney+ with The Acolyte. The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take the audience into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.
I’ll be keeping my fingers-crossed that this potential Sith-focused series with a female lead means we’ll finally be getting Darth Talon or reason to include a version of her.
LANDO – Everyone’s favorite scoundrel Lando Calrissian will return in a brand-new event series for Disney+. Justin Simien, creator of the critically-acclaimed Dear White Peopleand a huge Star Warsfan, is developing the story.
Kathleen Kennedy stopped short from confirming the return of Donald Glover.
A Legends character like Mara Jade could be an interesting addition for the Lando series as before she joined the Empire she was smuggler.
RANGERS OF THE NEW REPUBLIC – Set within the timeline of The Mandalorian, this new live-action series from executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni will intersect with future stories and culminate into a climactic story event.
TAIKA WAITITI’S UNTITLED STAR WARS MOVIE – A brand-new Star Wars feature with acclaimed filmmaker and Academy Award-winner Taika Waititi is in development.
KENNEDY: “Taika’s approach to Star Wars will be fresh, unexpected, and…unique. His enormous talent and sense of humor will ensure that audiences are in for an unforgettable ride.”
Although, it was noticeable that co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns is absent from the update, despite being mentioned in the original announcement.
Taika begins shooting Marvel’s Thor: Love & Thunder next month in Australia.
THE BAD BATCH – The series follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch — a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army — each possess a singular exceptional skill which makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew. In the post-Clone War era, they will take on daring mercenary missions as they struggle to stay afloat and find new purpose.
They dropped a sizzle reel for the upcoming Disney+ series.
STAR WARS: VISIONS– Presenting all-new, creative takes on the galaxy far, far away, Star Wars: Visions will be a series of animated short films celebrating Star Wars through the lens of the world’s best anime creators. The anthology collection will bring 10 fantastic visions from several of the leading Japanese anime studios, offering a fresh and diverse cultural perspective to Star Wars.
STAR WARS: A DROID STORY –As Lucasfilm continues to develop new stories, the intersection of animation and visual effects offers new opportunities to explore. Lucasfilm Animation will be teaming up with Lucasfilm’s visual effects team, Industrial Light & Magic, to develop a special Star Wars adventure for Disney+, A Droid Story. This epic journey will introduce us to a new hero, guided by legendary duo R2-D2 and C-3PO.
The craziest part is that they’re developing even more projects that they didn’t announce or give updates for such as Rian Johnson‘s all-new trilogy.
Today hasn’t been a good day for WarnerMedia. This morning news broke about a possible lawsuit that could be coming from Legendary Entertainment stemming from last week’s HBO Max announcement (Warner Bros. 2021 film slate heading to the streamer) and the studio’s golden-child Christopher Nolan has less than enthusiastic statements concerning their move as well.
More bad news as The New York Times reports that while most directors and actors were notified about the announcement 90 minutes before it happened last week, one project got special treatment.
To prevent the news of the 17-movie shift from leaking (and to make the move speedily rather than get mired in the expected blowback), WarnerMedia kept the major agencies and talent management companies in the dark until roughly 90 minutes before issuing a news release. Even some Warner Bros. executives had little warning.
WarnerMedia and agencies managed to quietly secure deals for $10 million plus each for director Patty Jenkins and actress Gal Gadot ahead of the announcement of Wonder Woman 1984 going to HBO Max for Christmas Day, along with their cooperation they’d still help promote the film. I don’t think that this says anything about Patty or Gal, but it certainly looks bad for WarnerMedia being more concerned about the news leaking than speaking with the filmmakers and actors.
Last month, Warner Bros. quietly approached Hollywood’s two biggest talent agencies, William Morris Endeavor and Creative Artists.
With Wonder Woman 1984, agents argued that Ms. Gadot, Ms. Jenkins and the producer Charles Roven (among others) needed to be paid what they most likely would have received had the sequel been released in a traditional manner (an exclusive run in theaters before arriving online) and not during the height of a pandemic. After all, that was what they signed up for, and Warner Bros. and HBO Max, its corporate sibling, wanted their help in promoting the film, did they not? After a tense negotiation, Warner Bros., which is owned by AT&T, agreed that Ms. Gadot and Ms. Jenkins would each get more than $10 million, according to two people with knowledge of the deals, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private agreements.
Industry folks, the Director Guild of America, and other talent agencies weren’t entirely thrilled either.
The surprise move left agencies on a war footing. Representatives for major Warner Bros. stars like Denzel Washington, Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Keanu Reeves, Hugh Jackman and Angelina Jolie wanted to know why their clients had been treated in a lesser manner than Ms. Gadot. Talk of a Warner Bros. boycott began circulating inside the Directors Guild of America. A partner at one talent agency spent part of the weekend meeting with litigators. Some people started to angrily refer to the studio as Former Bros.
THE RONIN 