Lucasfilm announced today that a live-action Star Wars television series is in the works, to be helmed by Jon Favreau. The actor and director, who helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2008’s Iron Man, will serve as executive producer for the series in what sounds like a showrunner capacity: writing and producing, while overseeing a stable of writers.
“I couldn’t be more excited about Jon coming on board to produce and write for the new direct-to-consumer platform,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in the official announcement. “Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the Star Wars universe. This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base.” May we suggest some contenders?
In addition to his work within the MCU, Favreau has also gotten to play in the Star Wars universe, with roles in the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series (as Pre Vizsla) and the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story (in an unidentified role). “If you told me at 11 years old that I would be getting to tell stories in the Star Wars universe,” he said in the announcement, “I wouldn’t have believed you. I can’t wait to embark upon this exciting adventure.”
No word yet on plot or title, but last week CinemaBlend reported on how Lucasfilm had, curiously, filed a bunch of trademarks for something called Star Wars Resistance. Considering that they likely waited to drop this news until right after Star Wars: Rebels wrapped, one wonders if all of this is connected… (Update: It is! But Star Wars Resistance is an entirely different animated series.)
The series will premiere on Disney’s new direct-to-consumer platform—that is, the streaming service announced in late 2017. No release date has yet been set for Favreau’s series, but it wouldn’t premiere before 2019, which is when the streaming service is expected to launch. Favreau’s project joins a number of other new Star Wars stories in progress, including new movie trilogies from Rian Johnson and Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
