From Lando to Ben Solo: Which Star Wars Movie Projects Actually Survive the Reset?

Hook: Sick of vague announcements? Here’s the triage list you actually need

We get it — another Lucasfilm shakeup, another round of hopeful headlines, and you’re left wondering which shiny director names will still mean anything when the dust settles. Pain point acknowledged: too many half-promises, too much Twitter posturing, and zero clarity on whether Mangold’s Jedi origin epic or Glover’s Lando caper will ever hit screens.

Short version: as of early 2026, with Kathleen Kennedy stepping down and Dave Filoni installed as Lucasfilm’s creative head, the franchise is moving toward serialized, canon-focused storytelling. That changes the calculus for four big-name film projects: James Mangold, Taika Waititi, Donald Glover, and Steven Soderbergh. Below I rank their odds, explain why, and map out realistic ways each could be repurposed for streaming.

Immediate context: What changed in 2026

In January 2026 Disney confirmed a leadership transition at Lucasfilm: Kathleen Kennedy exited the president role and moved back to producing, while Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan took over as co-presidents (Filoni handling creative duties). Filoni’s resume is TV-heavy — The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Mandalorian, Ahsoka — and his priorities skew toward character-driven serial narratives that knit into existing canon. (See Deadline / Polygon coverage for the official statements.)

"Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon wrote an incredible script, but it is definitely breaking the mold and it’s on hold," — Kathleen Kennedy, on Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi (Deadline / Polygon reporting).

Quick verdict — Ranked survival odds (film vs streaming adaptation)

• 1) Donald Glover — Lando Calrissian: Film survival ~55%, Streaming adaptation ~80%
• 2) Taika Waititi — Waititi’s Star Wars: Film survival ~40%, Streaming adaptation ~75%
• 3) James Mangold — Dawn of the Jedi: Film survival ~20%, Streaming adaptation ~60%
• 4) Steven Soderbergh — Ben Solo: Film survival ~15%, Streaming adaptation ~35%

Why these odds? The Filoni factor, streaming economics, and canon politics

Three forces shape what survives:

1. Creative philosophy: Filoni prefers stories that expand known characters and tie into an evolving TV universe. Micro-histories and epoch-spanning origin epics are less inherently appealing to him unless the idea serves ongoing serial narratives.
2. Economics: Big-budget films that break the mold (e.g., 25,000 years before the Skywalkers) are risky. Studios in 2025–26 kept shifting spend toward high-retention series for Disney+, because serials lock subscribers longer than one-off theatrical spectacles.
3. Canon integration: Projects that can either reinforce or directly feed the current TV pipeline get preferential treatment. Anything that feels tangential is more likely to be parked.

Deep dive: Donald Glover — Lando Calrissian

Status: Reportedly has a finished script; project was moving forward under Kennedy. Glover is a creator-actor-producer with a clear voice and a sizable fanbase.

Why it survives (or is likely to be repurposed):

• Character-first: Lando’s charm and moral ambiguity fit serialized storytelling — you can drop him into heist arcs, political intrigue, and noir-ish capers across multiple episodes.
• Star power: Donald Glover is a multi-hyphenate Netflix/FX-level creator who can attract eyeballs and prestige, making a streaming limited series or season-long arc attractive for Disney+ retention metrics.
• Low friction for canon: Lando slots neatly between eras and doesn’t demand epoch-spanning worldbuilding.

How a streaming version could look:

• Format: 6–8 episode limited series, with potential to branch into anthologies or seasonal missions.
• Tone: Crime caper meets space opera — think Solo energy but with more room for character depth and comedic beats (a natural Taika crossover if they want a lighter episode).
• Budget strategy: Moderate episode budgets (vs. movie-level VFX) but high-ticket guest stars and practical sets to sell the swagger.

Actionable advice for fans who want to help: organize viewership drives for existing Star Wars streaming shows, spike engagement on official Lando-related posts, and create high-quality fan edits or a pitch reel showcasing Glover’s Lando in serialized beats. Metrics and demonstrable audience interest matter to Disney execs.

Deep dive: Taika Waititi — Waititi’s Star Wars

Status: Kennedy confirmed work on a Waititi film; details were light. Waititi’s brand is anarchic, comedic, and tonal — which can be both an asset and a headache for franchise caretakers.

Why it’s in the middle:

• Distinct voice: Waititi’s tonal risk-taking could refresh the franchise, but Filoni may want that risk deployed in controlled serialized doses rather than a single tentpole.
• Flexibility: Waititi’s project could be reshaped into a character anthology or a serialized comedic caper — easier to greenlight on streaming where tonal experiments are tolerated.
• Brand fit: Disney+ has already shown appetite for stylistic variety (e.g., Star Wars: Visions) which gives Waititi a path to survive if he compromises on scale or injects stronger canon links.

Streaming repurpose idea:

• Format: A 8–10 episode anthology season titled something like Outliers of the Outer Rim, each focusing on quirky misfits and moral gray areas where Waititi’s humor lands best.
• Benefits: Anthology keeps VFX focused, allows episodic directors, and preserves a creative playground for Waititi without risking a billion-dollar misfire.

Fan action: Support early announcements by promoting Waititi’s episodes of other franchises, creating memes that show how his humor enhances Star Wars, and launching trending hashtags tied to Waititi x Star Wars samples — tasteful virality gets executive attention.

Deep dive: James Mangold — Dawn of the Jedi

Status: Written script with Beau Willimon; described by Kennedy as “incredible” but explicitly put “on hold.” This is the most structurally risky concept — an origin story set 25,000 years before the Skywalkers.

Barriers to survival:

• Scale and cost: Building a credible pre-history of the Force is expensive and requires a willingness to break recognizable franchise formulas.
• Canon complexity: Filoni may resist a massive temporal retcon unless it directly feeds current TV arcs — the risk is a standalone epic that doesn’t help subscriber retention.
• Audience appetite: Only hardcore lore fans may immediately line up for an Old Republic-style origin story; casual audiences might check out.

Streaming repurpose possibility:

• Format: 2-season limited series (8 episodes each) that treats the emergence of the Force like slowly revealed mythology — think House of the Dragon scale but in space and with a smaller VFX footprint per episode through clever production design.
• Story approach: Focus on character arcs that personify the Force’s early philosophical struggles, making the lore feel intimate rather than encyclopedic.

Practical next moves for supporters and creatives: produce concise pitch bibles that demonstrate how the story ties to existing lore (hook points for Ahsoka/Mandalorian-era characters), and build proof-of-concept short films or animatics to show how epochal scale can be handled on a streaming budget.

Deep dive: Steven Soderbergh — Ben Solo

Status: Script reportedly finished (Scott Burns). Kennedy said Soderbergh’s Ben Solo film is “on the back burner.” That’s not surprising: a direct cinematic follow-up focused on the antagonist-turned-tragic figure is tonally risky and could conflict with Filoni’s serialized canon plans.

Why it’s least likely to survive as a film:

• Character redundancy: Ben Solo / Kylo Ren’s arc is comparatively closed in the films; a standalone film risks diminishing the emotional weight of the trilogy unless executed as a deep, character-driven art piece.
• Auteur mismatch: Soderbergh thrives in smaller-scale, formal experiments. Disney may balk at greenlighting a risky auteur take without clear subscription ROI.

Streaming repurpose options — but with caveats:

• Format: A 6-episode introspective limited series exploring Ben Solo’s fall and inner life — a character study blending flashbacks and dream logic. This could be marketed as prestige TV (awards bait), but will need creative overlap with Filoni’s timeline to keep it canonically relevant.
• Risk: If the series reads as non-essential filler, Disney won’t prioritize it.

Advice for allies: If you want Soderbergh’s vision to live, push for it in the prestige TV lane — build industry buzz in trade outlets, produce thoughtful essays comparing potential to limited-series successes, and get key creative talent attached publicly to create momentum.

Repurposing playbook: How each movie becomes a better streaming series

Here’s a tactical framework Lucasfilm can use — and what fans should lobby for — to convert stalled films into high-value streaming properties.

1. Anchor to a current canon thread: Each project needs at least one explicit connective tissue to existing shows (characters, tech, or political fallout). This is Filoni’s shorthand for “useful.”
2. Episode-first worldbuilding: Break the writer’s bible into 6–10 episode arcs with clear character beats that resolve per episode — cheaper VFX, stronger retention.
3. Budget re-calibration: Shift VFX spend toward fewer, higher-impact set pieces and lean into practical effects to control costs.
4. Talent packaging: Use multi-episode showrunner deals (e.g., Glover or Waititi as EPs/showrunners) to keep creator vision intact while aligning with Lucasfilm’s TV pipeline.

Signals to watch — timeline and executive cues

Expect quiet periods, then staggered announcements. Here's what to look for in 2026–2028:

• Early 2026: Filoni’s roadmap — any public interviews where he prioritizes a film over a series is a major signal.
• Mid-2026: Behind-the-scenes hiring — staffing a project with TV showrunners or episodic directors points to streaming conversion.
• Late 2026–2027: Casting notices — small or episodic casting calls suggest series format; big-ticket global star casting suggests a theatrical push.
• 2027 onward: Greenlight announcements at Disney Investor Days or D23 — the official stamp.

Practical fan playbook — three actionable moves that help

1. Metric-friendly engagement: Watch and rewatch current Star Wars shows on Disney+ (legal views count). Organize watch parties and push viewership spikes in the first 72 hours of new episodes — studios pay attention to those retention curves.
2. Create proof-of-interest: High-quality fan edits, pitch reels, and limited-run podcasts that treat each stalled project like a serialized drama can create industry buzz. Tag creative leads and reputable trades — make it easy for executives to see demand.
3. Targeted outreach: Support petitions and coordinated social campaigns (tasteful, data-driven) aimed at streaming conversion. Petition numbers matter less than well-crafted narrative pieces in Variety/Deadline that argue the serialized case.

What to watch right now if you’re waiting for these projects

Need Star Wars content that scratches the same itch? Here’s a short, bingeable list:

• The Mandalorian — serialized character drama and production value baseline for what Filoni favors.
• Ahsoka — best example of canon-forward storytelling that folds into a larger narrative web.
• Star Wars: Visions — proof that experimental tonal takes can find a home on Disney+.
• Knights of the Old Republic (if/when it drops) — thematic parallel to Mangold’s Old Republic-era ambitions (watch related games and novels for context).

Final verdict — who survives the reset and how

This isn’t a doom board — it’s a reshuffling. Under Filoni, projects that feed the serialized pipeline and bolster ongoing canon have the clearest path to life. That favors Glover’s Lando the most, followed by Waititi’s experiment (if it’s reframed for episodic risk-taking). Mangold’s epochal Dawn of the Jedi has strong creative credentials but needs repacking to be financially and narratively viable. Soderbergh’s Ben Solo, brilliant on paper, will likely need to become a prestige limited series to survive.

Bottom line: if you want these films to live, push for smart streaming conversions that keep director voice but align with Filoni’s serial-first mandate. Build momentum with data, not just shouting into the void.

Call to action

Tell us who you want to see saved — vote in our poll, share this piece on socials, and sign up for the lads.news newsletter to get the next Lucasfilm roadmap analysis the moment Filoni drops a hint. If you’re into speculative pitch bibles, drop your ideas in the comments — we’ll compile the best and send a copy to Lucasfilm on your behalf. Time to turn fandom into strategy.

Related Reading

• Smart Lamps for Skin: Can Colored Lighting Affect Perceived Skin Tone and Product Performance?
• From Test Batch to Global Brand: What Toy Makers Can Learn from a DIY Cocktail Company
• Low Wages Behind Bars: What the Wisconsin Back-Wage Case Teaches About Prison Labor Rights
• 50‑mph E‑Scooters: What Riders Need to Know Before You Buy
• FedRAMP for Quantum Cloud: Lessons from BigBear.ai’s Playbook