Donald Glover Lando Calrissian project now being turned into a movie
It looks like there’s going to be a new addition to the Star Wars movie slate. Donald Glover is now hoping to transform his announced Lando series into a stand-alone film.
While 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story wasn’t the huge success Lucasfilm hoped for, many agree the best part was Donald Glover as a younger version of Lando Calrissian. The suave smuggler and con artist played by Billy Dee Williams in the original trilogy was shown as the original owner of the Millennium Falcon, who got involved in Han’s smuggling job.
While Solo’s box office failure cut plans for other stand-alone movies, Disney+ allowed some to be created, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi. In December 2020, Lucasfilm announced plans for a Lando series from Dear White People creator Justin Simien. In July 2023, Donald Glover confirmed he and brother Stephen were writing a new Lando project, which most assumed was the series.
However, while appearing on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Stephen Glover revealed that rather than a show, the project will be a full movie.
“It’s not even a show…the idea right now is to do a movie. Right now, because of the strike, it’s kind of like telephone, all of the information.”
Lucasfilm then confirmed the news, although obviously, the ongoing strikes across Hollywood are putting off any specific plans on it. It’s also unsure if this will be a theatrical release or premiere straight to Disney+.
Glover does seem eager for it, as he talked to GQ Magazine in April of 2023 on how much he wanted to reprise the role.
“I’m not interested in doing anything that is going to be a waste of my time or just a paycheck. I would much rather spend time with people I enjoy. It just has to be the right thing, which I think it could be. Lando is definitely somebody I’d like to hang out with. We’re talking about it. That’s as much as I can say.”
Given his long life of adventures from con games to smuggling, there’s a lot of potential in a Lando film. It can explore his origins and what shaped him into this man while showing how Lando was somehow involved in some big Star Wars events. While this is likely not going to hit for a few years, it looks like one way or another, Lando Calrissian is hitting the big screens eventually.
Solo: A Star Wars Story streaming on Disney+.