Saturday 9 February 2013

Who Should Get Their Own Star Wars Solo Film

Hello everybody. Not content with producing a new trilogy of Star Wars films, Disney have announced that several standalone movies will be released as well. This has prompted a lot of talk and speculation over which established characters in the Star Wars mythos will get their own spin-off movie, so I thought I'd offer up my own opinions about this. Feel free to comment if you agree or disagree with my selections...

Boba Fett:

  
This is the one I see as being the most likely. Boba Fett has such a cult following to the point that the film would likely be a box office success regardless of quality. While Boba now has a definitive backstory in the saga, there's still a rich tapestry of unexplored elements to his character that would be more than worthy of a film.

How about a film set inbetween Episodes III-IV at the time when Boba first carved his reputation as the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy. Or instead a film set during & after Return of the Jedi, where we could see Boba finally make his escape from that pesky Sarlacc Pit on-screen.

 The latter option would also allow Temura Morrison to reprise the role given that Boba is a clone of his "father" Jango. Whichever time they go with, the film would definitely have to comment on Boba's prejudice against the Jedi & his unfulfilled vendetta against Mace Windu.We'd also get a chance to see the gritty, scum-ridden side of the Star Wars galaxy fully realised on film (it comes with the territory of bounty hunters). And just some food for thought, Ramin Djawadi would be a great choice for composer...

 Darth Vader:

Let's be honest, Anakin Skywalker was the main character of the Star Wars films. They were his story. I would be astonished if he had anything beyond a cameo in the sequel trilogy. A Darth Vader movie could be one of the last chances we get to see this iconic character in live action.
 
The time frame in which to set the movie should be post Revenge of the Sith. Vader at that point is arguably at his most interesting. Here's a man who turned on his surrogate family, the Jedi Order, out of fear for his great love, Padme, only to lose her and be scarred beyond recognition, both physically and mentally.
 
 It would be great to get inside this broken man's head and see whether or not he still believes he was doing the right thing. On the off-chance that he doesn't get his own movie, I would like to see Vader land a supporting role in the Boba Fett movie, perhaps we could even see these two armoured rogues throw down, that would certainly be screen worthy...

Yoda:

Aside from Boba Fett, Yoda is one of the most mysterious character in the Star Wars mythos. A film set during his earlier years (though that's broader than most given that the character is 900 years old) would be a good idea as it would not only tell us what species Yoda is and what planet he comes from, but it wouldn't require watching the previous Star Wars films and would therefore be truly standalone. 
 
Perhaps the film could be an epic stretching across key moments in Yoda's vast lifespan (the character is certainly epic enough). We'd also get to see an older Star Wars universe. Frank Oz has reportedly expressed his interest in reprising the role of Yoda, which to me gives the film even more reason to be made. While voice actor Tom Kane does a good Yoda, Frank Oz IS Yoda, and I would like nothing more than to see this character take centre stage in his very own movie...

Obi-Wan Kenobi:

Now I'll admit that I'm kind of biased towards Obi-Wan, he's my favourite Star Wars character. But I wouldn't list him here if there wasn't still some interesting things to do with this character. Like Darth Vader, Obi Wan is left in a very vulnerable place after Episode III. He is forced to become a hermit on Tatooine, to devote himself utterly to the protection of Luke Skywalker, after watching his closest friend, Anakin, succumb to the dark side. 
 
A film set during this period could adapt elements from author Jude Watson's The Last of the Jedi series of novels, in which Obi-Wan is the title character. Alternatively, the film could be set before Episode I, and we could see how different a Jedi Obi-Wan is when compared to Anakin. 
 
Either option would allow Liam Neeson to reprise the role of Qui-Gon Jinn, and Darth Maul could potentially return as a villain since he was resurrected in The Clone Wars television series (although it remains to be seen if he'll survive it). Ewan McGregor has openly stated that he'll return to the role if he's asked to, which makes him a dead cert if the film gets greenlit. Obi-Wan has a lot of untapped potential to explore. It just depends if Disney think the same... 
 

Ahsoka Tano:

Now this is a bit of a long shot. Not only has Anakin Skywalker's Padawan not featured in any of the previous movies, but it's unknown as to whether or not she'll survive the events of The Clone Wars given that she doesn't feature in Episode III.
 
However, Ahsoka's story has become very compelling over the course of the series. A solo film would be able to expand her story past Order 66 and examine an outside view on the horrific massacre of the Jedi Order. Once again I would like to see Darth Vader in a supporting role. Ahsoka's reaction to her mentor's fall to the dark side would be very interesting to see, plus the potential battle between them would be very thrilling. 
 
When it comes to who could play Ahsoka in this potential movie, Imogen Poots or Emma Watson would be good choices in the event that voice actress Ashley Eckstein doesn't reprise the role. They both resemble Ahsoka and they're both great actresses who'd do the part justice. Like I said, it's a longshot and the least likeliest of these films to get made, but you never know....