“Star Wars” Universe: Obi-Wan Kenobi Movie In the Works With Stephen Daldry Eyed to Direct
1Disney and Lucasfilm are developing an OBI-WAN KENOBI standalone movie that Stephen Daldry is in talks to direct, an individual with knowledge of the discussions has told the Tracking Board.
Disney declined to comment, while a representative for Daldry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Now just because Obi-Wan Kenobi is getting his own movie doesn’t mean it’ll happen anytime soon. There’s no script yet, nor has it been decided whether Ewan McGregor will return to reprise his role from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. He has expressed interest in playing Obi-Wan again, but if the script sets out to explore the character’s origins, we may have another recasting on our hands, a la Alden Ehrenreich.
Either way, with Lucasfilm eager to continue its Star Wars “stories” beyond Rogue One and the untitled Han Solo movie, the time had come to start development on the next installment, and Obi-Wan was deemed a worthy subject. Alec Guinness originated the supporting role of Kenobi, which earned him an Oscar nomination. Obi-Wan took on a larger role in the Star Wars prequels, where he was played McGregor.
If Lucasfilm is able to close a deal with Daldry, the acclaimed English filmmaker would oversee development and the hiring of a screenwriter. Obi-Wan isn’t the only old school Star Wars character who may be getting his own film, as Yoda and Boba Fett have also been eyed for solo movies.
Daldry is an acclaimed director who earned Oscar nominations for his first three films — Billy Elliot, The Hours and The Reader, while his fourth film, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, was nominated for Best Picture. He most recently directed the indie film Trash and multiple episodes of the hit Netflix series The Crown. He’s represented by CAA, and the Hollywood Reporter broke the news of his potential involvement in the Star Wars universe.
Jeff Sneider | Editor in Chief