A History of Star Wars: Obi-Wan Spinoff Movie Rumors

Ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm in the Fall of 2012 and announced new Star Wars films were on the way, the standalone Obi-Wan movie rumors have run rampant -- despite neither Disney nor Lucasfilm even hinting there is a Ben Kenobi-led film in the works.

However, with a recent post on reliable Star Wars news site Fantha Tracks claiming that pre-production on the Jedi master’s solo adventure has actually started at Pinewood Studios, it may be time to start getting excited. With that in mind, we decided to run down the hearsay and speculation from the past few years.

One factor that has fueled the reports of this fan-favorite character finally getting the spotlight is actor Ewan McGregor’s willingness to reprise the role. He is continually asked about it at press junkets, and the Scottish thespian has repeatedly affirmed that he would gladly wield the blue lightsaber in another installment of the world’s most popular space opera. This started even before he was brought in by director J.J. Abrams to add his voice as Obi to Rey’s Force vision in The Force Awakens.

When news broke that Disney would produce not only sequels to the Skywalker saga, but standalone films, the rumor mill went into overdrive. Sites were declaring that the entertainment giant was considering films focused on everybody from Boba Fett to Yoda, from Han Solo to, well, Obi-Wan. Even Jabba was apparently in the running for a solo film. Well, we now know Josh Trank was working on a Boba Fett film until he was fired in May of 2015, and obviously the Han movie came to fruition, but the whisperings of everybody’s favorite Jedi hermit returning to the big screen have not amounted to anything... yet.

George Lucas sold Star Wars in October of 2012, and in December McGregor, who played Obi-Wan in the Prequels, was asked about returning to the galaxy far, far away. He told UK news outlet The Guardian, “If they need me to be Obi-Wan Kenobi again, I’d be delighted to do so, yeah.” This sent fans into a frenzy.

Fast-forward to Autumn 2014. and trusted Star Wars fansite MakingStarWars.net dropped the bomb that multiple Lucasfilm sources informed them that an art team and writer were already working on an Obi-Wan movie. Cinelinx.com followed up this rumor a couple of weeks later with word that Disney were actually developing an entire trilogy of Obi-Wan flicks, claiming the films would all be separate adventures set between Episode III and IV.

Another respected movie news site, Schmoes Know, reported in June 2015 that Disney was in negotiations with Ewan McGregor for “an unknown project.” An anonymous source assured them Obi-Wan was, in fact, getting a trilogy. That same month McGregor was attending the Edinburgh Film Festival and was asked again about Star Wars. “I’d be happy to do the story from Episode III where I finish up and Alec Guinness starts,” he said.

It all seemed to be lining up but, but in retrospect, the Disney talks were more likely about McGregor playing the lead role in Christopher Robin, the live action Winnie the Pooh film that hits theaters this summer.

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Unlike many actors who get agitated when asked too many times about returning to past roles, McGregor always seems genuinely excited when asked about Star Wars. However, in April 2016, he felt the need to clarify his position, telling Collider, “If they asked me to, I would be happy to, but it looks like I am campaigning for it, just because I get asked about it, all the time. So, I would like it to be known that I don’t bring it up, at these interviews, of my own free will. I only respond to questions I’m asked. I don’t know anything about it. They’ve never approached me about it.”

In February of this year, the Belfast Telegraph published news that the staff of the city’s Paint Hall studios had been notified that the Obi-Wan spinoff will use the facility for production. The studio is currently home to HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Now, the whole reason we felt the need to recap all these rumors is that just this Thursday, Fantha Tracks reported that pre-production on the Obi film was in full swing. Sources claim an art department consisting of concept artists, prop modelers and storyboard artists is already working at Pinewood Studios. The leaked details even included a filming start date of April 2019! This story was backed up by Jason Ward from MakingStarWars.net, whose word holds a lot of weight due to his track record with Star Wars rumors. This is the guy who told the world about Porgs months before they were officially revealed, after all.

Now, considering that much of Obi-Wan’s life was covered between Episode I-III, a standalone film would likely cover the period that connects Episode III and IV, as rumors have suggested. Both the Rebels TV series and the Star Wars comic line have covered the exploits of Old Ben during this time, and the tales are considered canon.

That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of years left to explore, however. In the Star Wars ongoing comic series, there have been two issues (#7 and #20) that give readers an idea of what Obi was up to on Tattooine. These exploits of a Jedi in hiding are tied into the main storyline by having Luke Skywalker reading about them in the Journals of Old Ben Kenobi, The Last of His Breed, a storytelling conceit that could work for a movie, too -- if Disney is actually interested in bringing Obi-Wan back once again, that is.

KEEP READING: Obi Wan: Marvel’s Star Wars Comic Is A Blueprint for the Spinoff Film