- "I thought about a biblical epic, like a Ten Commandments and the dawning of the Force. Where did the Force come from? When did we discover it? When did we know how to use it? And a story just started developing."
- ―James Mangold
An upcoming live-action Star Wars film about the dawn of the Jedi by James Mangold is currently planned.[1]
Development[]
Origins[]
In the early 1970s, Star Wars creator George Lucas once envisioned the Star Wars saga consisting of nine films, the first which would focus on the origins of the Jedi Knights and how they were initiated and trained. Original trilogy producer Gary Kurtz was briefed about Lucas' plans, but by 1980, Lucas changed his mind and decided to wrap up the series with the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, much to Kurtz's dismay as he revealed to TheForce.net in light of the prequel trilogy's mixed beginning with the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.[4] Published between 2012 and 2014, the Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi comic series by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema explored the origins of the Je'daii in the Star Wars Legends continuity.[5]
On February 6, 2018, Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were announced by StarWars.com to produce and write a Star Wars film series,[6] which reportedly focused on the time period in which the Jedi came to exist.[7] Benioff and Weiss reluctantly walked away from their project on October 28, 2019 due to scheduling conflicts with Netflix, Inc. despite their plans for a 2022 release after a hiatus following Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker. Lucasfilm Ltd. president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed her interest in waiting for the duo to return at some point.[8] At some point around 2019, David S. Goyer was signed on to write a film regarding the Jedi's origins 25,000 years before The Phantom Menace, alongside a separate project under director Guillermo del Toro. However, Goyer left his work for Lucasfilm and the latter project became shelved.[2]
Pre-production[]
After the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm, filmmaker James Mangold was attached to making a Boba Fett film in the style of Sergio Leone. This project eventually morphed into the series The Book of Boba Fett.[9] Mangold was then hired by Lucasfilm to direct and co-write Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the final Indiana Jones film. On April 7, 2023, it was confirmed during Celebration Europe that Mangold would direct a Star Wars film centered on the origins of the Jedi.[1] After the panel, Mangold revealed to the Variety magazine that his film would take place during the dawn of the Jedi and flesh out the exact origins of The Force, like how it was formed and discovered by the first Jedi. Having been drawn at the prospect of making a Star Wars film in the vein of a religious epic like Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 film The Ten Commandments or William Wyler's 1959 film Ben-Hur, Mangold discussed these references with Kennedy to convince her of the potential to explore the concept of the Force due to having evolved into a "kind of religious legend" due to encompassing across the Star Wars saga.[10] A The Hollywood Reporter article stated that the title of the film is Dawn of the Jedi.[11]
Appearances[]
Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Events
Organizations and titles
Miscellanea
Sources[]
- SWCE 2023: Three New Star Wars Movies Announced on StarWars.com (backup link)
- 'Star Wars' Celebration Offers Breaking Movie News, Cast Reveals, and Major Announcements on The Walt Disney Company official website (backup link)
- SWCE 2023: 11 Highlights from Lucasfilm's Studio Showcase on StarWars.com (backup link)
- SWCE 2023: All the Big News on StarWars.com (backup link)
- This Week! in Star Wars Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 Recap on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- "Launchpad" — Star Wars Insider 219
- Star Wars: Best of 2023 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- The Mandalorian & Grogu Journeys to the Big Screen on StarWars.com (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 SWCE 2023: Three New Star Wars Movies Announced on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Guillermo del Toro Confirms Axed 'Star Wars' Movie, Writer David S. Goyer Scripted It Four Years Ago: 'There Is a Lot of Cool Art Work From It' by Zack Sharf on Variety (September 21, 2023) (archived from the original on September 22, 2023)
- ↑ SWCE 2023: 11 Highlights from Lucasfilm's Studio Showcase on StarWars.com (backup link) establishes that the James Mangold film takes place 25,000 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas states begins in 0 BBY.
- ↑ Interviews – Gary Kurtz Reveals Original Plans for Episodes 1-9 on TheForce.net (archived from the original on January 7, 2020)
- ↑ NYCC Exclusive: Ostrander and Duursema Unveil "Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi" by Shaun Manning on Comic Book Resources (October 13, 2011) (archived from the original on August 17, 2020)
- ↑ Game of Thrones Creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to Write and Produce a New Series of Star Wars Films on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 'Star Wars': Inside 'Game of Thrones' Creators' Exit and the Pressures Facing Lucasfilm (EXCLUSIVE) by Brent Lang on Variety (October 30, 2019) (archived from the original on July 21, 2020)
- ↑ 'Star Wars' Setback: 'Game Of Thrones' Duo David Benioff & D.B. Weiss Exit Trilogy by Geoff Boucher on Deadline Hollywood (October 28, 2019) (archived from the original on July 21, 2020)
- ↑ 'Indiana Jones 5' Director James Mangold on ‘Pinch-Hitting’ for Spielberg and Refusing Fan Service: Franchises Have Become ‘Large-Scale Advertising’ by Adam B. Vary on Variety (June 21, 2023) (archived from the original on June 22, 2023)
- ↑ ‘Star Wars' Movies: James Mangold, Dave Filoni to Direct New Films by Manori Ravindran on variety.com (April 7, 2023) (archived from the original on April 8, 2023)
- ↑ 'Game of Thrones' Creators' Wild Road to Their Biggest Gamble Yet: Netflix's '3 Body Problem' by James Hibberd on The Hollywood Reporter (January 10, 2024) (archived from the original on January 11, 2024)
- ↑ Star Wars Eras on StarWars.com (backup link)
External links[]