Disney exec: Standalone 'Star Wars' films will be 'origin' stories
Though Disney hasn't said much about the forthcoming group of "Star Wars" films, it appears likely they will focus on the back stories of major characters, including possibly Han Solo and Yoda.
Get ready to learn just how Han Solo became such a jaded, grizzled, mercenary.
If the conclusion drawn by Variety is correct, Disney CFO Jay Rasulo let it be known that the series of standalone "Star Wars" films that will be coming over the next few years -- in addition to Episodes VII, VIII, and IX -- will be "origin" stories.
Speaking to investors at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference in Beverly Hills Thursday, Rasulo said that there would be at least one "Star Wars" movie, either a trilogy film or an "origin story film," on Disney's slate every year for the foreseeable future, Variety reported.
Though he didn't say much more than that, Rasulo was clearly indicating that "Star Wars" fans should get ready to learn much more about the back stories of some of the franchise's major characters. Speculation has been that the most likely candidates for such treatment would be Han Solo, Yoda, and perhaps Boba Fett.
However, there has also been speculation that Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo in the original three "Star Wars" films, will return in the role. It's hard to see how Ford, now 30 years older than he was when "Return of the Jedi" was in theaters, could play an even younger Han Solo.
Disney bought Lucasfilm last year for $4.05 billion, in the process purchasing the rights to the huge "Star Wars" ecosystem of films, video games, action figures, and more.
At the conference, Rasulo said that the "Star Wars" franchise is an "evergreen property" that will deliver revenue to Disney in perpetuity, and could become even more valuable if the company signs the most lucrative new deals. "The sky's the limit," Variety quoted Rasulo as saying of how much potential the "Star Wars" franchise still has, especially if Disney maximizes the theme park potential of the films and its characters. "There's incredible flexibility. It's an unbelievable palette to create from."