Earlier this week, Disney confirmed they are working on non-trilogy spin-off movies based on individual characters from Star Wars. They also confirmed two of the spin-offs were being worked on by recently hired writers Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) and Simon Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes). They didn’t, however, comment on rumors that a Yoda spin-off was a high priority. Now Entertainment Weekly has an update.
Several sources tell EW that two of the spin-offs in early planning stages are an origin story of a young Han Solo and a “bounty hunter adventure with Boba Fett.” EW also says it’s very early and “the deal could always be altered further.”
The Han Solo story would take place in the time period between Revenge of the Sith and the first Star Wars (now known as A New Hope). […] The Boba Fett film would take place either between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, or between Empire and Jedi, where the bounty hunter was last seen plunging unceremoniously into a sarlacc pit. [Ed.- THIS SHOULD NOT BE A SPOILER.] Exactly who would play him isn’t much of a complication – in the original trilogy, he never took off his helmet. And in the prequels, we learned he was the son of the original stormtrooper clone, played by Temuera Morrison, who’s still the right age for the part if his services were required. [EW]
This is very early in the planning and might go nowhere, so no directors or actors are rumored to be involved yet. In the past, Joe Johnston has expressed interest in doing a Boba Fett movie, while Robert Rodriguez wanted to do a Han Solo solo film. As for the rumored Yoda movie, EW writer Anthony Breznican tweeted, “There will be many spin-offs. I’m not negating the Yoda report at all.”
On a personal note: as much as I love Yoda, I’ll admit both Han Solo and Boba Fett would make for much more entertaining spin-off movies. Also, when they say “young Han Solo” they better not mean “snotty little Disney kid” young, or I am going to do some things involving a shovel.
[Thanks to /film and commenter JusttheBadassFarts for the assist.]