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Is Star Wars Planning to Ditch the Cinema for Streaming?

A few days ago, Lucasfilm announced a slate of new projects under production. Disney is really doubling down on the Star Wars Galaxy by expanding the world as much as possible.

One thing most fans will most likely have noticed is the number of shows Lucasfilm have in production. The announcement included 9 new shows coming to Disney+ in the future, including the Ahsoka, Rangers of the New Republic and Lando. In comparison, only 2 new movies were announced, Rogue Squadron and an untitled Taika Waititi film.

The Mandalorian

With the lack of new movies, it seems like Disney has almost given up on the films entirely.

The Original Plan Was for a Lot More Films

Most people will remember their plans to release a Star Wars movie every year. Starting with 2015s The Force Awakens, Lucasfilm would release a new film alternating between stories in the main series and spin-off movies. This plan gave us the mush reviled sequel trilogy and the two spin-off films Rogue One and Solo.

Rogue One

Looking to the future of Star Wars, new mainline trilogies were planned to be helmed by The Last Jedi director Ryan Johnson, and former Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss. In between each film, the rumoured spin-off films were to be an Obi-Wan movie, a Boba Fett movie and even an origin story for Yoda.

After the critical failure that was the sequel trilogy and the commercial failure of Solo, Disney really needed to rethink their strategy.

Plans Change

Their saving grace was the success of the new season of The Clone Wars, and The Mandalorian. Which were both exclusive to Disney+. Being both critical and commercial successes, these shows drive up Disney’s subscriber numbers significantly.

the Clone Wars Season 7

I don’t think Star Wars films will ever stop being made, but Disney is no longer looking at shows as less than their cinematic counterparts. They even converted the rumoured Obi-Wan film into a series that will premier on Disney+. The show will even feature Hayden Christensen returning as Darth Vader and facing off against his old Master.

Something as big as a rematch between Obi-Wan and Vader would normally be saved for the big screen. Shows are usually used for side stories and big plot points or fan service is saved for the big screen. It’s interesting that Disney sees their shows as big enough to add in such a huge moment.

Is this a sign that Disney is planning to end the Star Wars film franchise?

No. But it does tell us that they don’t see the cinema as the only medium for Star Wars stories.

How Long Before We’re Diagnosed With Star Wars Fatigue Again?

New Star Wars media is great and everything, but this could be too much of a good thing. Disney’s original plan to make one film a year gave fans what was dubbed as ‘Star Wars fatigue’. The idea that fans are getting bored with new Star Wars material.

Just look at what happened to Solo. A film starring a fan favourite character, a cool western motif, spectacular performances and the live-action return of Darth Maul should have been a slam dunk. It even got some pretty decent reviews and is a pretty decent film in my opinion.

Solo

However, the film was released only months after The Last Jedi, which had a mixed reception at best from fans. Coupled with the fact that it wouldn’t be continuing the main storyline, most fans decided to skip Solo since they couldn’t really be bothered.

If we get a new season of a Star Wars show every year, fans will be pretty happy. But if Disney gives us multiple seasons of new shows, with a different setting, time periods and story-lines every year, some of them are going to be skipped.

This isn’t the end of Star Wars movies. And perhaps Disney will return their focus to the films once they’ve established their catalogue of Disney+ original content.

But for right now, Disney is determined to establish their streaming service at the ultimate place for Star Wars content.

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Dan Waterman
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3 Comments

  1. I want so much to see in a series what Ahsoka Tano and Rex did after the events of The Clone Wars Victory and Death: how Gregor and Wolffe had their chips removed, present in their heads serving to trigger Order 66, and how they ended up with Rex on Seelos aboard an ; when and how Ahsoka met Bail Organa and Hera Syndulla; what Ahsoka did with his other lightsaber; how Ahsoka got his new white lightsabers; what Barriss Offee has become: if she saw Ahsoka again and reconciling herself; Maul fighting Darth Vader; how Maul got his new lightsaber; if Ahsoka saw Riyo Chuchi, Lux Bonteri, Trace and Rafa Martez, Saw Gerrera, Ursa Wren, Korkie Kryze, and Mace Windu if he survived; the reason why Yoda hasn’t revealed what he learned about Korriban (for fear it will get worse if he reveals the truth?).
    I hope so much that Sabine Wren will appear in The Mandalorian with Ahsoka Tano.
    If they do a series on Ahsoka Tano, I hope so much that this character’s story begins when she leaves the Jedi Order, and that it is shown what she has become until the events of The Clone Wars Gone With A Trace: If after leaving the Jedi Order, she reviewed Asajj Ventress and teamed up with her on a mission; but also Barriss Offee and talk with her after discovering her betrayal, in order to reason with her and eventually be reconciled.
    I would like to see in a series what Ahsoka did after being saved by Ezra Brider in Star Wars Rebels “A World Between Worlds” until she finds Sabine Wren to leave for the search for Ezra Bridger in “Family Reunion and Farewell Part II”.
    I look forward to seeing Ahsoka with Sabine on their quest to find Ezra Bridger.
    I so want to see Ahsoka meet Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Force ghosts of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.
    I so want to see Mace Windu again in an episode of a TV series sequel to Star Wars III Revenge of the Sith after he survives his fall and is shown how the Jedi Master survived his fall after he been sent out the window by Darth Sidious, as Luke Skywalker, after Darth Vader cuts off his right hand, in Star Wars V The Empire Strikes Back. I would especially like to see Mace Windu see Ahsoka Tano again after Order 66.
    I hope so much that while Ahsoka Tano’s voice is heard in Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s dead, even though the majority of the Jedi we hear are dead. But if she really died in Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker I hope, not only that it is well after her quest with Sabine to find Ezra Bridger, but that it is not by being killed by an enemy, but something something similar to the death of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, or Ben Solo.
    I would have liked Ahsoka Tano to become a Jedi again after the founding of the New Jedi Order by Luke Skywalker, as that would mean that her pain when she left the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars is well healed. Indeed when she left the Jedi Order, she was very upset because she had lost confidence in the Jedi who did not believe in her innocence (except for her master Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi) even after they admitted their wrongdoing and offered to reinstate her.
    I would love to see Ahsoka with Rex come back to the moon near the graves of the clone troopers with other characters including Luke, Leia, Han, Lando and Chewie.
    I so want to see Ahsoka Tano seeing Obi-Wan Kenobi again on Tatooine or before his exile on Tatooine after Order 66.
    I really want to see the YT-2000 Corellian transport in a movie or series.
    I hope the Bad Batch will meet Ahsoka Tano especially after Order 66.

    Reply

  2. I want so much to see in a series what Ahsoka Tano and Rex did after the events of The Clone Wars Victory and Death: how Gregor and Wolffe had their chips removed, present in their heads serving to trigger Order 66, and how they ended up with Rex on Seelos aboard an ; when and how Ahsoka met Bail Organa and Hera Syndulla; what Ahsoka did with his other lightsaber; how Ahsoka got his new white lightsabers; what Barriss Offee has become: if she saw Ahsoka again and reconciling herself; Maul fighting Darth Vader; how Maul got his new lightsaber; if Ahsoka saw Riyo Chuchi, Lux Bonteri, Trace and Rafa Martez, Saw Gerrera, Ursa Wren, Korkie Kryze, and Mace Windu if he survived; the reason why Yoda hasn’t revealed what he learned about Korriban (for fear it will get worse if he reveals the truth?).
    I hope so much that Sabine Wren will appear in The Mandalorian with Ahsoka Tano.
    If they do a series on Ahsoka Tano, I hope so much that this character’s story begins when she leaves the Jedi Order, and that it is shown what she has become until the events of The Clone Wars Gone With A Trace: If after leaving the Jedi Order, she reviewed Asajj Ventress and teamed up with her on a mission; but also Barriss Offee and talk with her after discovering her betrayal, in order to reason with her and eventually be reconciled.
    I would like to see in a series what Ahsoka did after being saved by Ezra Brider in Star Wars Rebels A World Between Worlds until she finds Sabine Wren to leave for the search for Ezra Bridger in Family Reunion and Farewell Part II.
    I look forward to seeing Ahsoka with Sabine on their quest to find Ezra Bridger.
    I so want to see Ahsoka meet Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Force ghosts of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.
    I so want to see Mace Windu again in an episode of a TV show sequel to Star Wars III Revenge of the Sith after his fall and is shown how the Jedi Master survived after he been sent out the window by Darth Sidious. I would especially like to see Mace Windu see Ahsoka Tano again after Order 66.
    I would love to see Ahsoka with Rex come back to the moon near the graves of the clone troopers with other characters including Luke, Leia, Han, Lando and Chewie.
    I so want to see Ahsoka Tano seeing Obi-Wan Kenobi again on Tatooine or before his exile on Tatooine after Order 66.
    I really want to see the YT-2000 Corellian transport in a movie or series.
    I hope the Bad Batch will meet Ahsoka Tano especially after Order 66.

    Reply

    1. There is definitely plenty of Star Wars left to explore isn’t there.
      If we get all of this the same quality as the Mandalorian, I’d be pretty happy

      Reply

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