The next “Star Wars” anthology movie due in 2018 that recently lost director Josh Trank will be a Boba Fett origin story, confirming one of many rumors that have appeared online in the last several months, TheWrap has learned.
A representative for Disney had no comment.
Boba Fett is a Mandalorian warrior who was trained by his father-figure Jango Fett and became a notorious bounty hunter throughout the galaxy. His travels led him to work for the Empire, collaborate with Darth Vader and take assignments from figures such as Jabba the Hutt, for whom he once captured Han Solo.
The beloved character was primarily played by English actor Jeremy Bulloch in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.”
The first standalone anthology film will be Gareth Edwards‘ “Star Wars: Rogue One,” which will star Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn and Riz Ahmed. That film follows a group of resistance fighters who unite for a daring mission to steal the plans for the Death Star.
With rebel spies the focus of “Rogue One,” the next anthology film will explore the rich world of bounty hunters in the “Star Wars” galaxy.
Writer-producer Simon Kinberg has been closely involved in the creative process for the second anthology film, which is set in a separate movie universe that is not associated with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” or upcoming Episodes VIII and IX.
Trank, who directed “Chronicle” and the new “Fantastic Four” movie, exited the untitled project on Friday afternoon, which he claimed was his decision. However, insiders have told TheWrap that Disney initiated the departure over concerns regarding what many have perceived as “erratic behavior” during the production of “Fantastic Four,” which was produced by Kinberg.
“After a year of having the incredible honor of developing with the wonderful and talented people at Lucasfilm, I’m making a personal decision to move forward on a different path. I’ve put a tremendous amount of thought into this, and I know deep down in my heart that I want to pursue some original creative opportunities,” said Trank, who cited a nasty flu as the reason why he missed the Star Wars celebration in April, though insiders suggest that Disney asked him not to attend.
Disney and Lucasfilm czar Kathleen Kennedy will begin searching for a new director, who could very well be hired before “Rogue One” starts production this summer in advance of its December 2016 release.