Now this is going to get even uglier. It’s one thing for Sony leaks to reveal Sony Pictures information, but the vultures digging through every line of email are now turning over information from Sony execs discussing other studios’ films and unintentionally revealing their rivals’ plans. As if it’s not bad enough for Amy Pascal and President of Production for Columbia Pictures Mike De Luca—the former seemingly revealed/spoiled the info of who is directing Warner Bros.’ “Aquaman” film with information that surfaced today.
Now they’re going to inadvertently piss off the ultra-secretive Kathleen Kennedy and LucasFilm because some of their future plans may have been unveiled too. Spoilers of course, but keep in mind this is secondhand information from a producer who is not working on these films, so who’s to say if it’s 100% accurate.
“Looper” director Rian Johnson (who is also about to potentially get really angry) is writing and directing “Star Wars: Episode VIII,” and writing and (maybe directing) “Star Wars: Episode IX,” and evidently De Luca has spilled some small beans regarding what they’ll be about.
"Star Wars: Any studio would have lost Josh Trank and Rian Johnson to this, it’s freaking ‘Star Wars.’ Your ‘After Earth’ writer Gary Whitta is writing Gareth Edwards stand alone Star Wars film. Simon Kinberg is writing Josh Tranks. No one knows what they’re about but Boba Fett is rumored to be the subject of one. Rian Johnson as you know is doing the main ones, episodes 8 and 9 of the Luke and Leia story lines, after J.J. [Abrams.] Not sure anything is gained by looking at what Lucasfilm is doing except we are stalking all these people too, except Whitta whom I think blows.”
There’s no context to the conversation, but it appears to be De Luca telling Pascal they don’t need to examine the ‘Star Wars’ universe that closely or lament the fact that these directors have left the studios they most recently worked with (“Looper” was at Sony) and jumped at the chance to work with LucasFilm (and again, another example of studios unsure of themselves and looking over their shoulder to see what the competition is doing when there’s a lack of strong original ideas). I guess De Luca will have to give screenwriter Gary Whitta an apology for his hard dig.
So if Episodes ‘VIII’ and ‘IX’ are about Luke and Leia, what does that mean exactly? Are those characters the stars? Or is it more about their legacies and possible offspring? Is it younger versions of these characters played by others? Speculate away, but in a recent interview with Mark Hamill, AKA Luke Skywalker, the actor reiterated what many have assumed is the plan: passing the torch on to a new generation.
Asked about the new trailer, Hamill told Yahoo movies, “This is about the new generation of characters; I think that’s the most important thing. It’s the opening act of a whole new approach to the storytelling.”
“I rightly assumed that it wouldn’t be our story,” he continued. “Because we had a beginning, a middle, and an end. This must be our offspring and the current generation, with us there lending the kind of support that Peter Cushing and Alec Guinness did in the original.”
So if it’s not the story of Luke and Leia and the original characters, how are ‘Episode VIII’ and ‘IX’ about Luke and Leia? Your guess is as good as ours, and you can, of course, weed through the aforementioned speculation. Sound off below and feel free to wonder whether Kathleen Kennedy or someone at LucasFilm is currently firing off livid emails in Sony’s direction.