One of the hottest names in horror movies is making a pitch for a Star Wars project any fan would love to see!
Star Wars has, to put it mildly, had its ups and downs since Disney bought it in 2012. They’ve had massive success with the sequel movies, Rogue One, and some TV shows, but there's also been criticism for the franchise’s direction.
Adding fuel to the fire is the possible exit for Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy. There are plans for more movies, both stand-alone and a new trilogy focusing on Rey yet some feel Disney could use a fresh approach to the franchise.
Enter Osgood Perkins. The former child actor has become one of the most notable writer/directors in the horror genre. After a few minor films, he broke out with 2024’s Longlegs, a bizarre thriller with Nicolas Cage in a scene-stealing role as a twisted killer.
The movie was a hit with critics and grossed $126 million off its $9.5 million budget. Perkins is now promoting The Monkey, based on a Stephen King story, which has already grossed over $30 million in just a few weeks.
Thus, Perkins is now a big name in Hollywood and fans are eager to see what comes next. In a Reddit AMA, Perkins took various questions from fans on his projects and when asked what his dream project was, he had an intriguing answer.
“The collected dreams and nightmares of Darth Vader told as short stories.”
That simple sentence is fodder for speculation that turning Perkins loose on Star Wars’ most iconic villain is a match made in…well, maybe not heaven, but surely intriguing.
Why we need a Darth Vader horror film
Fans can debate a lot about Disney handling Star Wars. However, one thing many agree on is that Disney has restored Darth Vader to his place as a figure of nightmares.
Rogue One’s famed ending saw Vader cutting apart a hallway of Rebels like a Force-enhanced Jason Vorhees. Many hailed it as the best part of the movie, reestablishing Vader as an unstoppable specter of death.
His appearance in the Fallen Order video game had him as a boss impossible to beat. Then Obi-Wan Kenobi had Hayden Christensen reprise the role with a Vader who, in a moment fans couldn’t believe, snapped a young child’s neck just to get at Obi-Wan.
The idea of a Vader solo film seems inevitable, even if James Earl Jones has left us. However, Jones did give the okay to use AI with his vocal tracks to recreate that voice for any actor to play the part.
Perkins’ pitch hints at examining Vader’s psyche and how he’s driven every day by the Dark Side. It would be fascinating to see how he changes from the newbie Sith to more of the ruthless figure of the original trilogy as he’s warped further by Palpatine.
That relationship between master and apprentice is also fodder for a show or movie. Each distrusts the other (treachery is the way of the Sith), yet Vader can still see Palpatine as a mentor. The question of how Palpatine sees Vader, whether a tool or a successor, is also something to focus on.
This would work much better as a Disney+ anthology series that shows each of Vader’s dreams. Perkins can make each one in a different style, from moody psychology pieces to pure slasher and homage to other horror films.
An animated show would be even better, with each episode anime or different animation. It would also get around using original trilogy actors with different voices. It can also be far more daring to push the edge for the property and shine a new light on Vader.
This is just a pitch, and it’s hard to see if Disney will go for it. After all, horror and Star Wars don’t always mix. Yet, if Disney and Lucasfilm wanted to fire up the franchise, making a Darth Vader horror movie would be just the way to do it and maybe create one of the coolest Star Wars projects in years.