Lucasfilm Shelves Entire ‘Star Wars’ Sequel

There has been a great disturbance in the Force this year, as multiple Star Wars projects are going out like an exploding Death Star. As Disney+ and Lucasfilm struggle to recover from the controversy surrounding The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew, which is still in development on its heels, a full-on cancellation is one tough blow to recover from.

Star Wars is undoubtedly one of  Disney’s biggest and most successful franchises, and it is undergoing a revival with new movies and TV shows in the works, but the balance of sci-fi nostalgia and fan expectations proves to be a difficult task for both studios involved. However, dropping a sequel with a completed script, concept art, and a fully developed layout does not bode well for the galaxy.

Related: Report: Luke Skywalker To Return as ‘Star Wars’ Main Character, Disney Rejects New Series

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2019) chronicled Han Solo’s early adventures, introducing him to Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian as he began his career as one of the galaxy’s greatest smugglers. Despite its mixed reviews, Disney and Lucasfilm planned to release a sequel following Lando’s story in 2020, and it looks like that ship has officially sunk.

Star Wars Drops Completed Lando Project

Suave, sophisticated, dashing, and debonair, Lando Calrissian has more than a few fans across the galaxy. While he might be one of the most interesting characters outside the typical Jedi Knights, bounty hunters, and Sith Lords, his solo adaptation featuring Donald Glover stepping in for Billy Dee Williams has officially been shelved.

Related: ‘The Acolyte’ Lead is Worse Than Darth Vader

After four years in development, a report from Collider shared that director Justin Simien was “grieving” the loss of the project. After scripts and a show bible were completed, the director made the following statement after the project’s official cancellation.

“For me, the answer is that you have to really face it. It is true grief. I’ve never had a child, I’ve never lost a child, but it’s what I imagine that pain might be like. You pour so much of your heart and soul into something, but ultimately, you don’t have control over whether it lives or dies, and it is a true grieving process.”

While there are multiple exceptions to the rule, Lucasfilm has struggled with multiple projects since The Rise of Skywalker (2019), and Lando seems to be just another victim. Although shows like Andor and Ahsoka have done wonders and shown a different side of a beloved setting, Lucasfilm still has trouble managing a consistent flow.

Inside the Magic has previously reported on how the fans are suffering under some of the recent creative decisions at the studio, but hearing how invested the filmmakers were in the now-canceled Lando project is absolutely heartbreaking. Not only does the fandom miss out, but it sets a very dangerous precedent for any future Star Wars project.

Related: ‘Star Wars’ Update: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Season 2 in the Works

Roger Palmer from What’s On Disney Plus? says it best with the following:

“‘Lando’ is one of those projects that would certainly have been nice for fans of the character, but it also showed Lucasfilm’s lack of strategy for moving the story forward, instead, seemingly just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick and fitting in projects in the Star Wars timeline, without an overall roadmap to where it was going.”

Disney and Lucasfilm are both home to some of the most inventive minds in the filmmaking industry, but they need to get more organized. Of all the words of tongue and pen, the saddest are “it might have been.”

Do you think we’ll ever see Lando? Tell us in the comments below.