Update, 10/26/18:

Kathleen Kennedy just confirmed to me Boba Fett movie is 100% dead, 100% focusing on THE MANDALORIAN #StarWars

— (@ErickWeber) October 26, 2018

The last we heard about Lucasfilm’s standalone Star Wars movies is that they were being put on hold. Disney didn’t comment on the report, but we heard from inside sources that wasn’t the case. One of those possible movies would have focused on Boba Fett. As reported below, James Mangold was on board to work on that film. The rumor was left at that; Lucasfilm never announced or confirmed the Boba Fett movie. But if it ever existed (and it seems like the idea did), it’s now dead.

While attending a Black Panther screening, reporter Erick Weber spoke with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and said she confirmed the Boba Fett movie is no longer on the table. Given that Jon Favreau is making a TV series literally called The Mandalorian, that adds up.

Original post:

There’s going to be a Boba Fett movie, folks. There’s no reason to fight it at this point. As much as we all might think, “Hey, this character looks cool, but has done less than nothing in any of his appearances; maybe make him a worthwhile supporting character in a new movie before he becomes the lead.” But no, it’s happening. The character whose most memorable movie lines include “Dad! Taun We’s here!” and “Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold” is getting his own movie. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news on Thursday that Logan writer-director James Mangold is in the process of making a Boba Fett movie a reality.

Mangold will write and direct the movie based on the coolest-looking but least useful character in the Star Wars universe, the report said. For all my shade, Mangold does seem like a natural fit for a movie that will probably amount to a spacefaring version of For a Few Dollars More, centering on an amoral lead out to prove that he’s the most feared bounty hunter in the cosmos (even though he’s a legitimately bad bounty hunter). Mangold not only co-wrote and directed Logan–a sort of modern western take on the superhero genre–but also the actual western 3:10 to Yuma. His whole directing aesthetic lends itself to that particular subgenre.

Boba Fett is certainly not the only standalone movie in the works over at Lucasfilm. Stephen Daldry (The Hours, The Reader, The Crown) is currently attached to direct an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie, though there isn’t any information about that the script or if Ewan McGregor will reprise his role. (Though if he doesn’t, there’ll be something akin to fan mutiny.) As for who’d play Mr. Fett, it’s conceivable they could get either Daniel Logan, who played young Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones and voiced him in The Clone Wars, or Temuera Morrison who played Jango Fett and all the clone troopers, since Boba’s a clone of Jango and all. Perhaps they could find an up-and-coming Maori actor to take over the iconic role. Or there’s a chance that he’ll never speak or take his helmet off, and it won’t really matter one way or the other. Might be a weird movie if that’s the case.

All I know is the Bounty Hunter video game starring Jango that came out around 2002 already has the best storyline for a possible Boba Fett movie, so just copy that, James Mangold.

Are you excited for a Boba Fett movie? What would you want to see from it? Let us know in the comments below.

Images: Lucasfilm/Marvel

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

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