[Update: Premiere received clarification from Lucasfilm as they appear to have misquoted Kathleen Kennedy. While aLandomovie is in the cards, it’s not necessarily the next film or even in active development.]
Sure, the vast majority of audiences all over the world have yet to seeSolo: A Star Wars Story, but Lucasfilm is already betting big onDonald Glover’s Lando Calrissian. Like, “Bet your own spacecraft in ahigh-stakes game of Sabacc” big. Though maybe it’s less of a gamble and more of a sure thing since Glover has the hot hand right now thanks not only to his stint as the younger version of the character made famous byBilly Dee Williams, but also as his musical alter egoChildish Gambinoand as the creative mind behind the fantastic series,Atlanta. ALandofilm is but the next logical step.
And that step may come sooner than you think. According toPremiere(viaCinemaBlend), Lucasfilm presidentKathleen Kennedyspoke about the plans for a Lando-centric film in the near future. The comments came duringSolo’s arrival at Cannes with much pomp and circumstance. The decision to explore Lando’s story is the right one, and not a surprising one.
Here’s what Kennedyactuallyhad to say, with the full clarification and the quotes aboutLandobeing the next Lucasfilm movie removed:
Following the publication of our article, Lucasfilm informs us that there would have been a misunderstanding between our journalist and Kathleen Kennedy. ‘We would love to tell a story about Lando Calrissian one day, but it’s not relevant, it would be fun to tell the story of Han and Chewie …’
Without getting into spoiler territory,Solodoes a solid job of introducing Lando Calrissian but does not focus on him or over-explain his mystique. It seems like that story could be told in what’s likely going to beLando: A Star Wars Story. A solo Lando movie will give Glover a chance to explore the aspects of the charismatic character that may have informed his performance but have yet to be fully explored on screen. Where did he come from, what did he do to get where he is, and who did he meet along the way? These questions will likely be answered inLando; the only other question now is just who and how many are interested in finding out the answers.
For more onSolo, which arrives in U.S. theaters on May 25th, be sure to get caught up with these recent links:
