The iconic Star Wars character, Lando Calrissian, will be entitled to his own spin-off. Here’s everything we know about this project, which was initially a series, and is now a film. A feature film simply titled Star Wars: Lando.
Introduced in the film Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), which is the second part of the original trilogy, Lando Calrissian (real name Landonis Balthazar Calrissian) was then played by Billy Dee Williams. His past as a gambler and smuggler helped make the character one of the coolest in the galaxy, Lando even having possessed the Millennium Falcon for a time, before losing it in a bet with Han Solo.
During their first meeting, Lando had betrayed his old friend by handing Han over to Darth Vader. But in Return of the Jedi (1983), he finally redeemed himself by leading the attack on the Death Star with the panache that so characterizes him.
The character recently reappeared in the film Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), a prequel in which this time we found Donald Glover in a younger version of Lando. And as Disney and Lucasfilm plan a solo adventure centered on the famous smuggler, here’s everything we know about this film project.
Lando: will the film come to fruition?
Donald Glover is currently working on the Lando script with his brother Stephen, and if Disney likes their work, expect the film to get underway quickly.
This represents a major change in the originally planned plans for the character. In December 2020, Lucasfilm announced plans to create a Lando limited series, with Justin Simien (Dear White People, The Haunted Mansion) as lead writer and showrunner.
Two years later, at the Star Wars Celebration held in Anaheim, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said that there had been no progress due to Donald Glover’s busy schedule. She said in particular : “You have to ask Donald. He’s the one who holds all the cards here. But there is no progress. I will say this honestly. But it’s not for lack of trying. It’s just that he’s very busy.”
Asked in July 2023 by The Hollywood Reporter about his involvement, Simien said: “I’m attached, I think, but I don’t really know. The last thing I was told was that they loved it but needed to pause it until they could figure out everyone’s availability. I didn’t look any further, but I’m not stupid.”
Hours later, we learned that Simien had left the series, with Donald Glover and his brother Stephen Glover taking over the project as writers and showrunners. Then, in September 2023, Variety announced that the series project had finally become a film.
Does the Lando movie have a release date?
Lando does not yet have a release date, as the format change and changes in the creative team pushed the project back.
In terms of Star Wars films, Jon Favreau is currently working on The Mandalorian & Grogu, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is developing her film New Jedi Order, Patty Jenkins is working on Rogue Squadron, while Dave Filoni, James Mangold, Taika Waititi, Rian Johnson, and Shawn Levy all have Star Wars films in the pipeline.
Lando’s place in this calendar therefore remains to be defined, and will mainly depend on when the Glover brothers have finished the scenario. We’ll also have to wait and see what Kennedy and other franchise officials think of the outcome.
Lando casting: who will star in the film?
The fact that the Glover brothers are handling the script suggests that Donald Glover will reprise his role as Lando in the film. However, a question remains regarding the potential participation of Billy Dee Williams.
In February 2024, Glover explained to The Hollywood Reporter why he wanted to direct the Lando movie, saying, “I agreed because I love the characters and my kids love Star Wars.”
He also spoke about the film as being very much in line with his vision, adding: “I feel like I have enough control, and maybe people label you a control freak, but it’s true, control allows you to have a unique vision.”
As for whether Billy Dee Williams would be willing to reprise his role if the Lando movie required an older version of the character, Radio Times asked him, with the actor responding: “Pay me a lot of money and I’ll I will sell my soul.”
And among the actors who could potentially return, we can also think of Alden Ehrenreich. The latter played Han Solo alongside Glover’s Lando, and although their film did not make a big splash, his performance was well received, with their duo being praised for their chemistry. So don’t be surprised to see a return of the Solo/Calrissian pair.
Lando Plot Details: What Will the Movie Be About?
With Glover involved, the Lando movie will look back at the character’s younger years, so expect the smuggler to navigate his way through various trials throughout the galaxy with his famous charm.
But the question of charm is precisely what the Glover brothers are struggling with right now. “Lando is the epitome of charm,” Glover told GQ last year (in the video below). “He’s a bit of an outsider, and I don’t think there are many like him anymore. It’s hard to be a seducer these days. Where is the limit? This is also where the danger lies. How far can you go without tripping?”
But despite that question, Glover is determined to get this iteration right, adding: “It’s fun, being him. It just has to be done the right way. Time is precious. In recent years, this filth of a pandemic, it has really made people experience time… People realize that their time is precious. We don’t have that many. I’m not interested in doing something that would be a waste of time or just a check. I much prefer to spend time with people I like. It just has to be the right thing, and I think it might be. Lando is definitely someone I enjoy spending time with.”
We will update this article when there is more news on Lando.
In the meantime, Star Wars fans can be patient with the next series in the franchise, namely The Acolyte, which you can learn more about by consulting our previous guide on this subject.
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