Time is of the essence for Disney. Even with Solo: A Star Wars Story barely a week old in theaters, reports now say another film set in the Star Wars universe is being developed. This time, it'll center on beloved character Boba Fett.
That's right — the bounty hunter is getting his own spinoff, and James Mangold, who wrote and directed the critically acclaimed Logan, is allegedly directing.
Simon Kinberg, who has written and produced several X-Men movies, is set to collaborate with Mangold on the film, apparently serving as cowriter and producer, as Variety reports.
The untitled film will be part of the Star Wars anthology of films, which are mostly spinoffs billed as origin stories. The first film in this anthology was 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, set before the events of the very first Star Wars film; then this year's aforementioned Solo: A Star Wars Story, which explores Han Solo's early years. To be clear, this anthology is separate from the mainline Star Wars franchise, whose latest entry was 2017's The Last Jedi.
Boba Fett
Boba Fett first appeared in 1980's The Empire Strikes Back, and then appeared for a second time in the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi as a mercenary for the Galactic Empire. Jeremy Bulloch played the character, while Jason Wingreen provided his voice.
Boba Fett, given his silent-but-badass existence as a bounty hunter in the original trilogy, has garnered a fervent cult following for many years. Up until this point, however, the character's ability to speak, let alone his backstory, has largely only been explored in Star Wars novels, not in the main franchise. Whether Mangold plans to take elements from these existing novels remains a question.
A Star Wars Story
It's not clear whether the Boba Fett film will be the third entry in the A Star Wars Story franchise, or that it's simply being developed. The Star Wars universe, being that it boasts a robust lineup of multidimensional characters, is ripe for origin stories, which makes it a potent wellspring studios will definitely explore. Just think of the other characters Star Wars fans would like to see origin stories of. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Darth Maul, Mace Windu, and many others are all likely candidates.
In fact, earlier reports have claimed that a standalone film featuring Obi-Wan Kenobi is currently being developed, with The Reader director Stephen Daldry attached to direct. The film still hasn't found a writer, however.
