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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…
Only one episode remains in Season 3 of “Chucky,” and what a bloody road it’s been so far, especially for actor Devon Sawa. The actor has now officially died twice on screen this season, pulling double duty as President James Collins and body double Randall Jenkins.
If you thought Chucky’s ruthless eye-gouging of the President was bloody, this week’s Episode 7 traps Randall Jenkins in an elevator that feels straight out of an iconic horror classic.
Bloody Disgusting spoke with series creator Don Mancini and actor Devon Sawa about that ultra-bloody death sequence and how the actor inspires Mancini’s writing on the series.
Mancini explains, “Devon’s a bit of a muse. Idle Hands and Final Destination is where my Devon Sawa fandom started, like a lot of people; although yours may have started with Casper. I was a bit too old for that. But it’s really just about how I love writing for actors that I respect and then know. So, it’s like having worked with Devon for three years now, I’m just always thinking, ‘Oh, what would be a fun thing to throw his way that would be unexpected and different that he hasn’t done?’ That’s really what motivates me.”
For Sawa, “Chucky“ is an actor’s dream in that the series gives him not one but multiple roles to sink his teeth into, often within the same season. But the actor is also a huge horror fan, and Season 3: Part 2 gives him the opportunity to pay homage to a classic: Kubrick’s The Shining.
CHUCKY — “There Will Be Blood” Episode 307 — Pictured in this screengrab: (l-r) Devon Sawa as President James Collins, K.C. Collins as Coop — (Photo by: SYFY)
“Collectively, it’s just amazing to put on the different outfits, to do the hair differently, to get different types of dialogue,“ Sawa says of working on the series. “The elevator scene, it’s like being a kid again. I was up to my eyeballs in blood, and it felt very Kubrick. Everybody there was having such a good time, and we were all doing this cool horror stuff, and it felt amazing. It really was a good day.”
Sawa elaborates on being submerged in so much blood, “It was uncomfortable, cold, and sticky, and it got in my ears and my nose. But it was well worth it. I didn’t complain once. I was like, ‘This is why I do what I do, to do scenes like this,‘ the scenes that I grew up watching on VHS cassette, and now we’re doing it in HD, and it’s all so cool.“
It’s always the characters and the actors behind them that matter most to Mancini, even when he delights in coming up with inventive kills and incorporating horror references. And he’s killed Devon Sawa’s characters often. Could future seasons top the record of on-screen Sawa deaths?
“Well, I guess we did it twice in season one and once in season two,“ Mancini counts. “So yeah, I guess I would have to up the ante next season. I’ll really be juggling a lot of falls. But I think it’s hopefully as much about quality as quantity. I want to give him a good role that he’s going to enjoy sinking his teeth into as an actor. It’s not just about the deaths.”
Sawa adds, “Don’s never really talked about how many times could we kill you. He’s always talking about, ‘How can I make this death better,’ and that’s what I think excites him is how he can top each death. The electricity, to me blowing up to, obviously in this season, the eyes and with the elevator, which was my favorite one to shoot. So if it goes on, we’ll see if he could top the deaths.”
CHUCKY — “Death Becomes Her” Episode 305 — Pictured in this screengrab: Devon Sawa as James Collins — (Photo by: SYFY)
The actor has played a handful of distinctly different characters since the series launch, each one meeting a grisly end thanks to Chucky. And Season 3 gave Sawa his favorite characters yet.
“I would say the second one was a lot of fun to shoot,“ the actor says of Randall Jenkins. “The President was great. I liked playing the President. He was the most grounded, I hope, of all the characters. I did like playing him a lot.” Mancini adds, “He’s grounded, but he’s also really traumatized, and I thought you did that really well, too.”
The series creator also reveals a surprise correlation between President James Collins’ character arc and a ’90s horror favorite.
“I saw Devon’s role as the president in Season 3; he’s very Kennedy-esque,“ Mancini explains. “But then given the supernatural plot turns that happen, to me, the analogy is Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath, the character that is seeing these weird little things happening around the house that is starting to screw with his sanity and he starts to insist, ‘I’m seeing a ghost,‘ and his spouse thinks he’s nuts. So I always like that. That’s Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath, which is a movie I love.”
The finale of “Chucky” Season 3: Part 2 airs Wednesday, May 1 on USA & SYFY.
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