'Star Wars' movie scrapped and reshaped into separate sci-fi project

Simon Farnaby confirms his planned 'Star Wars' film with Paul King was scrapped, now being developed as sci-fi movie

A planned Star Wars movie from Simon Farnaby and director Paul King has been scrapped, with the project now being reworked as a separate science-fiction film.

Farnaby, who co-wrote films including Wonka and Paddington 2, revealed that he and King had previously been developing a Star Wars project for Disney and Lucasfilm.

However, the concept did not ultimately fit the franchise, partly because it centred on a robot rather than established Star Wars characters.

“They were like, we really need it to be a Star Wars movie, which is probably why it didn’t get turned into a Star Wars movie!” Farnaby told Variety. “But we never really nailed it.”

According to Farnaby, Disney subsequently offered the filmmakers an opportunity to develop the concept outside the Star Wars universe. “[Disney] basically said, ‘it’s not right for Star Wars, but do you want to rework it as a sci-fi film?’ So we’re working on that now.”

Farnaby did not specify when the Star Wars project was officially abandoned. He said he and King eventually moved on to work together on Wonka, which was released in 2023.

The cancellation comes as Lucasfilm continues to face scrutiny over the future of the Star Wars franchise.

The company has experienced multiple delayed film projects, while its latest theatrical release, The Mandalorian and Grogu, recorded the lowest domestic opening weekend in franchise history, earning about $82 million during its first three days.