Disney confirm that a Star Wars stand-alone anthology film will be released in 2020

Disney chief executive Bob Iger has confirmed that the third film in the stand-alone "anthology" of Star Wars films will be released in 2020.

Away from the principal series, which began with the rebooted The Force Awakens last year and will continue with Episode VIII in December 2017, three stand-alone films set in the Star Wars universe will also be released. Beginning with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which will be released on December 16, it will then be followed by an as-yet-untitled Han Solo film in 2018.

As reported by Deadline, Iger has now confirmed that a third film in the stand-alone series will be released in 2020.

Speaking at a Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference yesterday (September 21; as reported by The Guardian), Iger confirmed that he'd hired a writer for the as-yet-untitled film; a project that appears to be at its earliest possible stage.

The chief executive also predicted that the first of the stand-alone series, Rogue One, will not match the box office sales generated by The Force Awakens last year, but that "interest [in the film] is high. We love what we've seen [because] it doesn't fit neatly into the Skywalker saga.”

'Star Wars' Obi-Wan Kenobi Film in the Works

Stephen Daldry is Star Wars’ newest hope.

The Oscar-nominated director behind Billy Elliot and The Hours is in early talks to helm a Star Wars stand-alone movie centering on Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Sources say talks are at the earliest of stages and that the project has no script. If a deal is made, Daldry would oversee the development and writing with Lucasfilm brass.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi stand-alone is one of several projects being developed by Lucasfilm and Disney that fall outside the trilogies telling the saga of the Skywalker family. A Han Solo movie is now in the final stages of shooting under new director Ron Howard, and Lucasfilm is also considering pics centering on Yoda and bounty hunter Boba Fett, among other characters.

In the original Star Wars trilogy, Kenobi is a desert-dwelling and war-weary hermit who later proves to be a wise and powerful warrior, brandishing a lightsaber. He is briefly a mentor to a young Luke Skywalker before being cut down by Darth Vader, his former pupil. Alec Guinness' portrayal of Kenobi garnered him an Oscar nomination.

The character played a central role in the George Lucas-directed prequels, which recount the origin of Vader and his betrayal of Kenobi and the Jedis. Ewan McGregor, who played the younger Kenobi in the prequels, has said he would be open to playing the character again. Sources stress, however, that since there is no script, no actor is attached.

Daldry hails from the theater world and made his feature debut with 2000's Billy Elliot, which netted him his first directing Oscar nomination. He followed that up with searing dramas The Hours and The Reader, which also netted him directing noms.

Daldry most recently directed episodes of Netflix’s period drama The Crown, which garnered him an Emmy nomination.

He is repped by CAA.

Agreed. Say if Luke was like 7 or 8, and Ben entered him in a pod-race, I think that could make for a really kick-ass film.

Not movie.

Film.

'Star Wars': Ewan McGregor Weighs in On Possible Obi-Wan Kenobi Film

What does Ewan McGregor think of possibly returning to the Star Wars galaxy as Obi-Wan Kenobi?

"There’s a lot of talk, and I’d be happy to play him again, but I don’t know anything more than you do," McGregor told reporters backstage at Sunday's Golden Globes, where he won a best actor honor for FX's Fargo. He's long maintained he'd be interested in a chance to reprise the role.

In August, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry was in early talks to direct an Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff movie. And over the weekend, a photo of McGregor working out while sporting a very Kenobi-looking beard had fans speculating that perhaps the actor was gearing up for a Star Wars return.

McGregor played the Jedi master in the Star Wars prequels from 1999-2005, and his voice was featured briefly in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens during a scene in which Rey (Daisy Ridley) had a vision.

The latest film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, opened last month, and McGregor approves.

"I saw the new one over Christmas and I thought it was really, really beautiful," said McGregor.

Agreed. Say if Luke was like 7 or 8, and Ben entered him in a pod-race, I think that could make for a really kick-ass film.

Not movie.

Film.

I don't know the Star Wars history all that well, and I never saw movies 2 and 3.
Where did they leave Obi after the third movie?

Well… then they could do a movie with Ol' Ben hanging around Toshi Station, working with Laze Loneozner
and Merl Tosche to import power converters. Most of the action could occur in the game room, and maybe
Ben can have a brief affair with Camie Marstrap's mother. For drama, Ol' Ben can get really thirsty and
have to attend a local auction trying to purchase a small moisture farm. He then can hire Luke and his friend
Biggs Darklighter to repair the collectors.