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What Should We Expect From Future ‘Star Wars’ Anthology Films?
As we march toward the release of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens later this year and the beginning of production on Gareth Edwards’ Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One (2016), the eyes of fans are starting to turn toward the projects beyond both. We know that Rian Johnson is directing and co-writing Episode VIII. We know that the second Anthology film, with its focus on bounty hunter Boba Fett, is coming together as we speak. And we know that Episode IX will follow afterwards. But what of plans beyond this new sequel trilogy?
First on deck after we close out this new chapter in the Star Wars saga will be a third Anthology film, tentatively expected to be released sometime in 2020. Yes, that is five years away, but such is the life of a film fan when it comes to tracking upcoming projects these days. What plans do Lucasfilm have for this entry? According to Schmoes Know, the currents plans are for this project to “be much more “mythological and spiritual” based” and possibly center on a Jedi. Past rumors about prequels centering on Mace Windu and/or Yoda are cited, as is the notion that it may be the final Anthology film.
According to our own sources, Lucasfilm has no intention of tabling the Anthology side franchise after only three entries, so we can put a stop to that rumor right there. But what of the idea of exploring Jedi outside of the main saga? Honestly, it’s inevitable. While the first two Anthology films seem to be delving into the criminal underworld of the Star Wars universe, it wouldn’t surprise this reader at all if we get some sort of serialized one shot Jedi adventure. Could it be with Yoda or Windu? Of course, but I think we’d be far likelier to see it center on someone younger, be it a new character or an existing one? Getting Ewan McGregor on the horn might not be a bad idea, for instance. A younger Obi Wan tale has been rumored before, after all, and I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing him go on some damned fool adventure.
The truth is that we really don’t know what the third Anthology film will turn out to be. This has less to do with a lack of concrete information and more to do with the fact that Lucasfilm has a lot of plates spinning right now when it comes to this very subject. Beyond a Jedi-centric entry or two, there have been countless other rumors about potential Anthology films. A Top Gun-esque fighter pilot tale, a Han Solo film, and numerous potential spin-offs for other existing characters. All are rumors that have sprung from trusted sources over the past few years and all are likely being considered. It’s just a matter of which one is ready first.
As we march towards the inevitable 2020 release of a still mysterious third Star Wars Anthology film, what would you like to see both it and future Anthology films explore in the Star Wars universe beyond whatever tales are being told in the main saga? The day-to-day lives of the Ugnaughts in Cloud City? The Good, The Bad, and the Bantha Poodoo: Life As A Tusken Raider? Wookiee Sky Cab Confessions? I’m sure someone out there has a burning desire for a third Ewok adventure. Not myself, but I guarantee at least one of you wants one. Tell us your deepest, darkest Star Wars Anthology desires in the comments below…
All of us here at Bloody Disgusting are deeply saddened to learn that George A. Romero Foundation Founder and President Suzanne Desrocher-Romero has passed away.
GARF shared in a statement on socials, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Suzanne Desrocher Romero. Suzanne passed away of natural causes on June 24 at her home in Toronto after a prolonged illness.”
The statement continues, “Suzanne was the fierce leader of the George A. Romero Estate and The George A. Romero Foundation. She worked tirelessly to preserve George’s legacy. Her work at the foundation will continue to inspire and live on for generations to come. The family asks for privacy at this time.”
Desrocher-Romero founded GARF in 2018, after her late husband’s passing in 2017, and has been a fierce advocate for his legacy and the arts. It was her mission to “strengthen horror as a serious field of global study,” and she was a tremendous fighter on behalf of Romero’s works and supporting new filmmakers inspired by his legacy.
It was Desrocher-Romero who spearheaded the recovery and restoration of The Amusement Park, and, as the person in charge of the George A. Romero estate, worked closely with author Daniel Kraus on completing unfinished novels like Pay the Piper and The Living Dead. She most recently celebrated the restoration of her favorite of Romero’s zombie films, Day of the Dead, and was hard at work producing the upcoming film Twilight of the Dead.
That passionate advocacy led to Suzanne Desrocher-Romero becoming family to Bloody Disgusting as well.
2023 marked the start of an ongoing partnership between Bloody FM and GARF on The Dead, a scripted audio series spanning multiple seasons that saw Desrocher-Romero working closely with the Bloody FM team and mentoring the series’s contributing writers with GARF. To say her loss will be felt internally is an understatement.
“Anytime George Romero is mentioned is good, because what we are doing is to provide a healthy legacy. We’re uplifting his legacy, we’re supporting the archive, and we’re also supporting the Horror Study Center. So, all of these three things are what the Foundation is striving to do. As far as I’m concerned, the more we say George Romero’s name, the better it is,” Desrocher-Romero recently told BD.
It’s the perfect encapsulation of her unwavering enthusiasm for supporting Romero’s legacy and the horror genre, and just a glimpse at how much she contributed to preserving it. She is, in short, an inspiration.
We send our deepest condolences to Suzanne Desrocher-Romero’s family, friends, and GARF.
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