Credit: LucasfilmA mature-rated Star Wars movie revolving around a prominent character was reportedly under development at Disney and Lucasfilm before being abandoned by the studio.
Boba Fett made a triumphant comeback to the Star Wars universe in the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+. However, the character’s own series, The Book of Boba Fett, received a lukewarm response, leaving many fans wanting to be more satisfied with how the character was portrayed. However, prior to the series being released, rumors circulated in 2018 that Fett would be the protagonist of a standalone film, similar in style to Rogue One and Solo. There were even talks of James Mangold, the director of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), taking the helm of the project.
During an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, James Mangold, who is actually working on an upcoming Star Wars movie, disclosed that he had been developing a Boba Fett feature film for Disney and Lucasfilm. This particular project deviated from the conventional family-friendly space adventure formula of other Star Wars movies and veered towards a more mature tone. Interestingly enough, Mangold revealed that had he made the movie, this would essentially have canceled Grogu (Baby Yoda), because the world would have never been “able to embrace” the character.
“The world would never be able to embrace Baby Yoda if I had made that… So… Because it didn’t really belong in the world I was kind of envisioning, but it kind of just… in a moment of kind of corporate re-alignment after whatever happened with the Han Solo movie, they just suddenly decided they weren’t making pictures like that, and I think the opportunities in streaming presented themselves.”
Mangold revealed that the Boba Fett film could be considered “borderline rated-R,” and that it “was a gritty, spaghetti Western-inspired story set on a single planet.” Inside the Magic previously covered that Mangold had all but confirmed that this Bob Fett movie was in the plans, but then things changed.
Subsequently, Mangold discussed the fate of the movie and why Disney ultimately decided to abandon it. He specifically mentioned the box office failure of Solo: A Star Wars Movie (2018) as a contributing factor. The studio underwent a corporate realignment, shifting away from producing films of that nature. Instead, they saw greater opportunities in the realm of streaming content.
It’s interesting to note that, had the movie been made, we don’t know what the future may have held for Grogu (Baby Yoda), who has been an internet sensation and a viral hit. Grogu has become one of the top-selling merchandise sellers of characters in the Star Wars Universe and has even captivated fans who haven’t necessarily watched all of the movies or Disney+ series.
The first three seasons of The Mandalorian can be streamed on Disney+. It’s been confirmed that Pedro Pascal will rejoin Disney for Season 4, which is set to begin filming later this fall.
What do you think about the consideration from Mangold that Baby Yoda/Grogu could’ve been canceled? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!