So don't get me wrong. I am very excited to see Rogue One this December in theaters, but I think Disney has some missed potential with the standalone Star Wars films. Yeah there are some exciting films outside of the numbered series coming out, but Disney should go wild. So, here is a list of some serious and not so serious (you can decide which one's I am not serious about) movie ideas for the standalone Star Wars films.
1. Obi-Wan Standalone Movie
Without a doubt Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi was the best thing about the prequel trilogy. He nailed his performance and really made the character feel like the same one Alec Guiness embodied in the original trilogy. Now imagine a Star Wars movie where Ewan McGregor reprises his role as Obi-Wan and the movie is all about what happened to the character between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Imagine it, Obi-Wan while on Tatooine protecting Luke, starts his spiritual Jedi journey to contact Qui-Gon (here's an excuse to get Liam Neeson thrown back in as an awesome force ghost) while also fighting off Tusken Raiders (or even try to make peace with them to contrast Anakin in Episode 2). The Lars homestead could be in trouble, perhaps Owen Lars owes money to the wrong people after not being able to produce enough water (yeah that's what moisture farmers make apparently). Said bad people send bounty hunters (insert fresh off his fathers death Boba Fett here) to "take care" of them. Obi-Wan steps in to protect the family and then Owen Lars and Obi-Wan could get in some sort of conflict that explains why they are so distant at the beginning of the original. Throw in a young Luke Skywalker and this movie would be just downright wizard Ani.
2. Lando Calrissian Standalone Movie
Alright imagine this. Quentin Tarantino at the helm of a Star Wars film featuring Lando Calrissian as the main character, in the greedy underside of Cloud City. If you're not sold yet I don't know what will. It would take place between episodes 3 and 4 and Lando would smooth-talk his way through the dark criminal underworld of the city in the sky. We'd see him use the same pick up lines he used on Leia on other women, lose the Millennium Falcon to Han in an epic space poker scene, and whatch him gamble his way up to being the leader of Cloud City. Make it happen Disney, make it happen.
3. Han Solo and Chewbacca Buddy Comedy
Ok, so in the Star Wars Christmas Special Han and Chewbacca are trying to make it back to Chewbacca's home planet of Kashyyyk for Wookie Life Day. The Christmas Special itself is god-awful. It's not even so bad it's funny, it's just so bad it's bad. But what if it were actually funny. The Star Wars Christmas Special was supposed to be light-hearted and comedic, so lets throw out all the other stuff that wasn't about Han and Chewy and make a great buddy comedy about the duo's hijinks. The story would be the same: Han has to get Chewy home for the Wookie holiday but they get into wacky trouble on the way there. Imagine Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and The National Lampoons Christmas Vacation but Star Wars. The promos should also have "Let the Wookie Win" in that light hearted comedy font. It could even take place between Episode 6 and 7 so we can drag Harrison Ford back in to play the character he hoped he would've killed off by now...
4. Prequel Trilogy Remake
I'm probably one of the few that actually likes to watch these movies. They deserve all the criticism they get, and I agree with that criticism, but I still love to watch these movies. That being said I'd still really like to see these movies remade. It honestly makes sense too. After this new trilogy of films, will Disney dive us straight into another new trilogy? Audiences at that point honestly may find this more interesting. The millennial generation grew up with this trilogy and by the point episode 9 is said and done with, they would probably be old enough to have children to take to see them. Disney could take the direction these movies were going, polish it up and make something really good. Casting will be interesting considering most of the original cast will be older by then, but I feel at the least the main cast should stay. Seriously, give Hayden Christensen another chance, Lucas probably just gave him bad direction, and Christensen knows what went wrong the first time. It's an interesting idea and I wonder if Disney would actually go for this. These movies are Lucas's babies after all, and he would probably have a lot of push back on this. Never the less it would always be interesting to see what could have been.
5. Jar Jar Binks Standalone Movie
Alright, I'm just putting this here to put this here. Aristotle once said, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." So stick with me on this one. Maybe this one can fit into the prequel remakes, but imagine Jar Jar... buff, and not the ugliest alien ever. Imagine him with a deep voice saying "Meesa take you to the city." Ok now imagine him with machine guns taking down an entire droid army on his own in the thick swampland of Naboo. Basically imagine if Jar Jar was Rambo. I think it would be hilarious and in some alternate reality this did happen, but it's not too late for ours. Make it happen in this reality Disney, make Jar Jar a bad ass action hero with epic one liners. You can make this what if into a why is?
