Lando (film)
Lando, also known by the title Star Wars: Lando, is an upcoming motion picture. Its narrative will center on Lando Calrissian. The storyline will be crafted by Donald Glover, the actor who portrays Lando, in collaboration with his brother, Stephen Glover. This project, which was made public on December 10, 2020, was originally conceived as a show for Disney+, but its format was changed to a film.
Official description
Lando Calrissian, the beloved rogue, is set to reappear in a completely new event series for Disney+. Justin Simien, the creator of the critically acclaimed Dear White People and an avid Star Wars enthusiast, is in charge of developing the story.
Development
Lucasfilm Ltd. announced on December 10, 2020 that a Star Wars series focusing on Landonis Balthazar Calrissian was being developed for Disney+, with Justin Simien writing and acting as showrunner. Kathleen Kennedy mentioned on May 26, 2022, during an interview with Cinemablend at Celebration Anaheim, that the series was on hold, awaiting Donald Glover's availability after he completed other projects. On July 18, 2023, The Direct released an interview with Simien, where he admitted he hadn't received updates on the series since 2020. He expressed uncertainty about the series' status, stating "I have no idea what's going on".
Reports surfaced on July 27, 2023, indicating that Simien had left the project due to his commitments to Haunted Mansion, and that Donald Glover and his brother Stephen Glover would take over as writers and showrunners for the series, with Glover reprising his role as Lando. Earlier that day, Simien had told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview that he believed he was "still attached, I think" to the series. He said he had been informed that executives "loved" his writing, but they had to pause production to manage availability. However, he wondered if he had been quietly dismissed, questioning "Am I too Black? Am I too queer? And people just don't want to say that?"
Lucasfilm confirmed on September 14, 2023, that the project had officially transitioned from a television series to a film. Stephen Glover had previously indicated that the possibility of it being a film, rather than a series, was under consideration. On February 7, 2024, Donald Glover revealed that accepting the Lando project wasn't an immediate decision, and he agreed because he liked the characters and his children were fans of Star Wars. He also mentioned that the level of creative control he had allowed for a more "singular" vision for the film, which he believed would make it more appealing to audiences. On August 2, 2024, Simien reflected on his involvement with the project in an interview with Collider, stating that the version he worked on had been shelved; however, he also noted that he had not been directly informed of this decision. On September 12, 2024, Donald Glover expressed his hope that audiences would enjoy his film, aiming for it to be more entertaining and less serious compared to other Star Wars installments.