'Solo' Director Denies Sequel Is In The Works

Solo: A Star Wars Story was a sort of anomaly in the greater Star Wars film series. The films are generally box office smashes, regardless of how good the actual movie is. Especially in this day and age, seeing one that does not break some kind of box office record is rather strange. That is what made Solo so odd. It was a box office flop, barely making its budget back, but it is still regarded as one of the better Star Wars films post-original trilogy. It is widely seen as flawed, but fun.

With pretty much every single aspect of the Star Wars saga getting its own movie or TV show on Disney+ (including an Obi-Wan series, a Lando Calrissian series, possibly something about the Old Republic as some speculate, and at this point, probably an entire three-season series about womp rats and other Tattooine creatures narrated by David Attenborough), rumors abounded that a new film about Han Solo would follow.

It seems like it is not meant to be. Or at least, that is what is being said at the moment.

The director of the original film (Academy Award-winning director and producer Ron Howard, who was famously brought on at the last minute) said that there are no current plans to make another film. In an interview with Radio Andy on SiriusXM, Howard said, "Well, there's no sequel planned now and it's amazing to be a part of a Star Wars movie that seems to be a kind of underground hit, which is not what you'd expect, but that's been an odd, strange journey for that movie."

On one hand, this does make sense. Solo did not do well at the box office, and making another one with the more limited resources that a streaming service, even one run by Disney, would possibly hinder any vision set up by the cliffhanger endings of the first one. It might not make economic sense, especially given the potential oversaturation of Star Wars material coming to the platform.

On the other hand, Solo does have a bit of a cult following among Star Wars fans, and even though demand for things like the Obi-Wan series and the second season of The Mandalorian are obviously at the forefront of the minds of the fans, a Solo film would possibly be a big hit. It is difficult to say.

However, even if there are not any plans right now, that does not mean that the door is permanently closed. With Star Wars, one truly can never say never. Ewan McGregor could decide that he does not actually want to be in the upcoming Obi-Wan series, and Disney could just decide to make it down the line with another actor. Even if there are genuinely no plans for another film, that does not close the door on one now and forever. Anything is possible with the most powerful and rich entertainment company history has ever known.

Of course, the other point is that it might be a vicious falsehood crafted to fool fans and generate even more buzz when another one is eventually announced. If there is one important factor for a movie's release, especially in today's day and age, both with the general platform of streaming services and the unknown of what a post-COVID theater system would look like, it is hype. The shockwave of a new movie being announced not long after everyone felt disappointed by the news that there would not be one would generate more hype, thereby increasing the amount of people who would see it.

A new Solo film, regardless of if it is real or not, would be seen as the breath of fresh air that the original was. People are frankly tired of the Skywalker saga, which became increasingly flimsy as the films went on. The Solo film left a lot of intriguing questions unanswered.

From where we stand right at this moment, the official word is that there will be no sequel for Solo. Whether that is true or not, never count out everybody's favorite rogue and smuggler with a heart of gold.

Written By Tommy Durbin

Syndicated from Culture Slate