According to The Hollywood Reporter, Obi-Wan Kenobi is the next Star Wars character to get a standalone movie. Sources say that director Stephen Daldry (The Hours, The Reader, Billy Elliot) is in talks to helm the project, which does not yet have a script. But more importantly—does it have an Ewan McGregor??
“It is not known at this stage” if McGregor would reprise his role from the prequels, THR says. That would likely depend on which story they land on: either a coming-of-age tale à la the Han Solo standalone in the works, or a movie covering the ground between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. We’re hoping for the latter, as we have so many pressing questions related to Tatooine:
- When did he stop being Obi-Wan and start being old Ben Kenobi?
- Did he check up on baby Luke?
- Does he go visit Watto?
- How did he age so crazy-fast?
- What is the best bar in Mos Eisley?
In all seriousness, we’d love to see McGregor back in the Star Wars universe.
No comment yet from Lucasfilm or Disney.
Bad prediction time:
The film will cover the short time when he was assigned as Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore’s bodyguard. It will be setting up the reveal of Rey’s genealogy in Episode IX.
Ugh. He didn’t age so crazy fast. That is NORMAL AGING for most non-hollywood men, who aren’t spending half the day at the gym, eating like a professional athlete and getting surgery and using other skin care products. Alec Guinness was 62 years old when filming began on Star Wars. Obi-Wan Kenobi was born 57 years before the battle of Yavin.
Now, factor in living on a poor, backwater desert planet with minimal access to galactic medicines and nutrition. The aging is perfectly normal.
Yeay! Please, bring Ewan McGregor back! I would love to see the Mandalore arc and an older Obi-Wan too. In Rebels, there is an hologram that shows the same Obi-Wan of The Clone Wars with a whiter beard. It can totally work! So excited, please, Disney don’t ruin it! :D
Hmmm….I’m not sure how to feel about this. Yes, Obi-Wan is awesome. Yes, Ewan McGregor is awesome (so was Sir Alec Guiness). But I’m not so sure about Obi-Wan having his own spinoff story. We saw him in Episodes I-III starting at the end of his apprenticeship, then those movies ended with his self-exile to Tattoine. So what will this cover? Him living in exile on a desert planet? Him as a youngling before Episode I? Him during the Clone Wars? Just not sure any of those scenarios really stands out for me…
I loved the book Kenobi and, ‘legend’ or not, I’d pay good money to see Ewan McGregor in the movie version of that!
Bring in Ewan McGreggor
“Taken, but with Jedis.”
Call it Old Ben
You’re welcome.
@2: As for the aging, it does appear like he aged crazy fast between Ewan McGregor and Alec Guiness. The time between Episode III and Episode IV is 19 years in canon. So on screen that’s going from a 29 year old Ewan McGregor to a 62 year old Alec Guinness in 19 years.
The desert is very hard on the skin. A desert with twin suns? Doubly so.
We know he checks up on baby Luke from Rebels don’t we?
Ewan McGregor was one of the best things acting-wise about the prequels, and did a fantastic job of capturing Alec Guinness. He’s also shown interest in reprising the role, I think. I’d be very sorry if he didn’t get this.
I can’t say how crushed I’d be if Ewan McGregor didn’t get the part it would be like millions of voices cried out and were silenced as they drank a beer for him. My continued wish list for this movie.
1. A western.
2. A less is more budget.
3. Ben uses a saber very little and when he uses a blaster he says “How uncivilized.”
4. If romance is involved I hope they find a tasteful way for Ben to say “These aren’t the clothes you’re looking for.”
5. Would it be too much to ask to have Clint Eastwood appear as a bounty hunter.
@@@@@ 5- yes, me too! I loved that book! @@@@@11 – in some ways you’ve described Kenobi (the John Jackson Miller book, that is).
I would also vote for exploring the time between trilogies, but I agree that looking at the time he was with Satine could be interesting too.
Fun fact, I just learned that McGregor’s ill fated/star crossed love interest in Moulin Rouge was also named Satine. Ha! (I’ve never seen the movie, so it’s not something I was familiar with).
Yes Please,
I’m also still hoping that Obi-Wan turns out to be Rey’s Grandfather.