Star Wars Spin-Off Movie About Tatooine Was In Pre-Production

While no Star Wars movie has been officially announced beyond next year's Episode IX, there have been plenty of rumors of potential spin-offs, including movies focusing on Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett. However, following the commercial disappointment of Solo: A Star Wars Story earlier this year it was rumored that Lucasfilm had stopped development on further spin-off films. While the studio subsequently denied this, it has now been reported that work has indeed ended on a movie set on Tatooine.

The news comes via Neil Lamont, who worked as production designer on both Solo and Rogue One. In an interview with Cinemablend, Lamont revealed that he had started pre-production work on another spin-off, but this was now on pause. "We were just starting our work on another Star Wars spin-off," he said. "We were actually just making our mark on Tatooine--which would have been interesting-- and some other new galaxies. So hopefully, if that comes back, we'll get the chance to be able to do that further."

Lamont did not reveal what the movie was, but there are a couple of possibilities. The Obi-Wan movie has been rumored for sometime, with Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry attached and the possibility of Ewan McGregor returning to reprise his prequel trilogy role as Obi-Wan. However, in a recent interview, McGregor said that while he would love the play the character again, he knew nothing about the project.

In addition, there had been more recent rumors of a movie set within the Mos Eisley spaceport. In June, Making Star Wars reported that pre-production on a Mos Eisley film had been shut down, and the studio space reserved at London's Pinewood Studios had been given back.

While there are no Star Wars movies on the calendar beyond Episode IX, we know that there are two new movie series in the works. One is being developed by The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, while the other is from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. In addition, Iron Man director Jon Favreau is working on a live-action Star Wars TV show, which will premiere on Disney's upcoming streaming platform.

In related news, Episode IX is now in production. The films is directed JJ Abrams, who also helmed 2015's The Force Awakens, and it hits theaters in December 2019. Earlier this month, the first image was released from the set. In addition, the first trailer for the upcoming animated show Star Wars: Resistance was released this week.