This can shock actually nobody. The mythological Rey film has now been faraway from the discharge schedule in accordance with the Hollywood Reporter. Star Wars was initially imagined to have two motion pictures in 2026. The Mandalorian & Grogu in Could and the Rey film in December. However with the latter nonetheless not having a script and never a author – but once more (that is the second time now) – it was inevitable that the film can be faraway from the schedule. There merely can be no time anymore to complete the film in time for a December 2026 launch. Click on by way of for a dialogue!
Necessary picture of Rey crying
Now that doesn’t essentially imply the Rey film is formally cancelled – however mixed with the opposite current information that Simon Kinberg (who wrote the 2015 Unbelievable 4 prepare wreck and the Darkish Phoenix X-Males catastrophe) is now tasked with writing an all new trilogy (although it’s not totally clear if these motion pictures can be linked to the “Skywalker Saga”) the destiny of the solo Rey film appears to be like increasingly grim. A solo Rey film would make no sense if Kinberg certainly wrote episodes X-XII of the Skywalker saga (or any model new trilogy). No matter that any Rey film looks like a horrible concept. To many the character, and something linked to the sequels, is unsalvagable. However for Lucasfilm to really plan a sequel to the sequels directed by an activist documentary maker with actually zero expertise making mass market motion blockbusters is the definition of madness.
It might very effectively be that somebody at Disney is making an attempt their greatest to cancel the Rey film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. And whereas Kennedy can announce all she likes, she nonetheless wants cash and somebody at Disney who really needs to launch her challenge.
Star Wars is in a very unhealthy place in the intervening time. All of the Disney+ Star Wars reveals in 2024 have failed to this point and it’s uncertain Skeleton Crew will probably be an enormous hit, however that continues to be to be seen… even worse nevertheless is the whole failure of the merchandise, it’s grow to be so unhealthy, apparently, that Hasbro talked about Star Wars by identify a number of occasions of their final earnings report and singled the franchise out as being a serious contributer to the general decline of companion manufacturers gross sales.
In gentle of this it’s much more tragic that in accordance with statements by Lucasfilm they really contemplate Rey (and actress Daisy Ridley) to be their solely and greatest asset left that they nonetheless have. In a approach that is true… the unique trilogy heroes are both useless or a lot too outdated now to hold a film and even worse, all their Star Wars characters are useless anyway (not that you could work round that). In fact you might argue that Din Djarin and Grogu may perhaps fill the outlet, and perhaps they’ll, however it should all hinge on a film following a really lackluster third season that, by the point the film is launched, is three years outdated, or “historical historical past” within the present day and age. And the opposite route, some CGI/deepfake film or the inclusion of deepfake OT heroes within the Mandoverse film(s) is regressive and never the best way ahead – when all the pieces nonetheless culminates within the sequels.
In the long run the removing of one more Star Wars film from the discharge schedule is simply additional proof of the mismanagement of the franchise below Kathleen Kennedy. The sequels had one job, effectively two:
1: reignite curiosity within the motion pictures
2: hand over the baton to a brand new technology of youthful heroes to allow them to make much more motion pictures going ahead
Sadly, 5 years in the past, when The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters, many if not most individuals had been utterly completed with the sequels, completed with the characters and the blatant mismanagement of the sequels with the weird determination to not map out the trilogy upfront and to let Rian Johnson simply do his factor, actually ignoring all the pieces JJ Abrams arrange, solely to backpedal with the third film after the immense Final Jedi backlash, leading to a weird trilogy of films that managed to smash all the pieces.
The legacy of the unique trilogy was destroyed and the brand new characters Lucasfilm wanted to switch the outdated guard all failed to achieve any actual traction. And the few all new followers they did acquire had been all pushed right into a ditch when JJ Abrams determined to bother all of the Reylos by killing off Kylo Ren. However then going forward and turning Rey into the granddaughter of Palpatine was in all probability probably the most damaging determination and the dying blow to any future motion pictures primarily based on the sequels. And to have Rey assume the Skywalker identify similar to that ultimately felt like peak disrespect to something that got here earlier than. They solely needed to make Rey the daughter of Luke or perhaps Obi-Wan. They didn’t need that.
And now we’re right here, 5 years later. Lucasfilm foolishly say Rey is the very best factor they nonetheless have. Not realizing that this character is just about completed for. Who needs to see the adventures of Rey Palpatine founding a brand new Jedi Order?
Anyway, eradicating the Rey film from the schedule will hopefully give somebody at Disney the prospect to in some way salvage the scenario. Star Wars in film theaters wants a reset. A tough reset. All of the Mandoverse motion pictures or reveals are finally useless ends too. As a result of all of them will result in the sequels, inevitably. Star Wars wants a recent begin, it must take away all baggage, transfer on and overlook in regards to the previous… and it might be extraordinarily ironic that some of the quoted dialogues from The Final Jedi rings true in 2024 “overlook in regards to the previous, kill it if you must”… again then they killed the unique trilogy, the OG heroes and all of their accomplishments… and now it’s time for the sequels and all of the sequel trilogy characters to simply die in a whimper. Star Wars can don’t have any future with them.
Eradicating the Rey film from the schedule is a really small first step. Now somebody at Disney must have the heart to lastly do away with Kathleen Kennedy and to come back to the unhappy however inevitable conclusion that Disney wants to start out throughout with Star Wars if the franchise is meant to have any actual future. None of that may be completed by a now 71-year-old girl who’s liable for tanking the Indiana Jones film and for destroying Star Wars (not forgetting Willow, however Willow was by no means actually a franchise), regardless of all the great will and hype after The Mandalorian, by making one baffling determination after one other after the shock hit of Mando seasons 1 and a couple of, culminating in a imply spirited The Acolyte that completely tanked and genuinely angered many followers and which can have broken the franchise for good.
Btw. the film changing Star Wars in December 2026 is Ice Age 6. A franchise which ran out of steam ages in the past. Nothing screams “artistic dying of Hollywood” greater than that.
Field workplace within the US, to date, is 12% down in comparison with 2023, which was already not an awesome yr. Hollywood hopes issues just like the Depraved musical film adaptation, Gladiator 2, Moana 2 and one more Lion King CGI film will make critical financial institution in the previous couple of weeks of 2024 and if these motion pictures hit it massive 2024 could not turn into as a lot of a catastrophe for motion pictures in spite of everything. And these motion pictures very effectively could succeed.
We really get the leisure we deserve. However perhaps there may be nonetheless some hope for Star Wars. Possibly.
How do you’re feeling about all that? Be at liberty to additionally pitch your personal plans for find out how to take Star Wars into the 2030s and past!
The Hollywood Reporter article in regards to the modified launch schedule
