Disney will hit pause on “Star Wars” movies after “Episode IX,” says Bob Iger

in Disney, Entertainment, Movies & TV

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Credit: Lucasfilm

With “Star Wars: Episode IX” hitting theaters in December and Star Wars Celebration currently taking place in Chicago, fans have spent the day eagerly awaiting new information on the upcoming movie (update: the movie’s title and first teaser trailer were revealed). But after “Episode IX” opens, Disney CEO Bob Iger says the film franchise will go on “a bit of a hiatus.”

“Star Wars: Episode IX” will complete the current trilogy of films that began with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015, and it’s the conclusion of the Skywalker saga. During a Bloomberg Television interview this week, Iger said, “We will take a pause, some time, and reset because the Skywalker saga comes to an end with this ninth movie. There will be other Stars Wars movies, but there will be a bit of a hiatus.”

Even though “Star Wars” will take a break from the big screen, fans have new “Star Wars” TV content to look forward to on Disney+, the company’s upcoming streaming service. When Disney+ launches on November 12, 2019, subscribers can tune in to “The Mandalorian,” the first-ever live-action “Star Wars” series. Written and executive produced by Jon Favreau, the cast includes Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Omid Abtahi, Werner Herzog, and Nick Nolte. “Set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order, the series follows a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic,” Disney says.

Star Wars hiatus
The Mandalorian

In its second year, Disney+ is also getting the “Untitled Cassian Andor Series,” which sees Diego Luna reprise his role of rebel spy Cassian Andor in a series set during the formative years of the Rebellion prior to the events of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”

As for animated content, Disney+ will feature 12 new episodes of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” during its first year of streaming service. The series marks the return of classic characters Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padmé Amidala, as well as fan-favorites Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex.

In recent years, “Star Wars” theatrical releases included “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015), “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016), “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017), and “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (2018). “Star Wars: Episode IX” arrives in theaters on December 20, 2019. “Solo” was the lowest-grossing live-action movie in the history of the franchise, prompting some to wonder if fans were feeling “Star Wars” fatigue.

If fans are indeed overwhelmed by the number of recent movies, a hiatus might help. And not to worry — “Star Wars” films certainly aren’t going away forever. “There are movies in development, but we have not announced them,” Iger said.

Source: Bloomberg

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