Could a Boba Fett movie really happen? If it does, and if certain things happen the right way, it could be the best thing to happen to the Star Wars franchise since Battlefront. Or, it could continue to ruin a huge slice of my childhood.
[M]ight director Joe Johnston have the key to another film? Johnston, who is doing the press rounds for Captain America at the moment, told Screen Rant, “I’m trying to get George [Lucas] to make a feature based on Boba Fett.” When then asked if it’s a film he’d like to direct himself, he said, “I would like to. It would be a lot of fun.”
Now that’s all a long way away from the project happening, but until Johnston mentioned this, we didn’t even know it was a vague possibility.
For whatever reason — the wicked rocket pack on his back, the dents in his helmet, the way he just seemed to slither about the few scenes he was in — Boba Fett was the coolest SW character outside the main band of rebels, right up to the time he apparently got snarfed up by a giant sand worm. That character offers up a huge range of possibilities for spin-off stories and story lines. A movie featuring him could be to the movie side of the SW universe what Republic Commando was to the game side – a grittier, fresher take and a chance to look at the universe between the Jedi and the Sith. Boba Fett makes for a very interesting anti-hero, or could. But Lucas can’t direct. I mean, he literally can’t direct. He gets zero in performance from even the great actors in his films (other than the pair who played Obi-Wan).
Boba Fett, if it happens (and it should), has to be helmed by someone other than Lucas or it will be yet another towering digital wall of wood. Boba Fett and the audience both deserve better than that.
(Bumped to top.)
I agree that anyone – ANYONE, up to and including a concussed dolphin – should direct a Boba Fett movie instead of Lucas. Lucas may have visionary ideas, but his execution – both as a director and a writer – are pathetic. In fact, I think a concussed dolphin might have to really lower himself to reach the low standard Lucas achieved in “Phantom Menace.” A lobotomized tree frog high on morphine MIGHT reach that level of mediocrity, but it would need to restrain itself artistically.
Unfortunately, Lucas is a narcissist. I can never envision him handing the reins over to someone more talented. He knows a Boba Fett movie will make money regardless of who’s behind the camera. And he’s right.
Who lobotomizes a tree frog? Seriously, I need a point of contact.
Sorry, Jimmer. Top secret info. You’ll have to wait for the Wikileaks transcript. ^_~
I am in complete agreement with this post. Well done, Bryan.
If it happens Lucas will completely screw it up. This is as certain as an Eastern sunrise.
Lucas should not only not direct, he should be banned from ever writing a movie again. Come up with a story – oh heck yes! But actually write it – oh hell no! I mean really, an elected queen? Chewbacca? Is he related to Smokecracka?
“But actually write it – oh hell no! I mean really, an elected queen?”
At one time didn’t Poland have an elected King?
There’s a webcomic titled “Darths and Droids” that presents Star Wars as if it were a tabletop RPG campaign. It gives a perfect explanation for the goofy gobbledygook in Episode I: they let a little girl with a hyperactive imagination join the game. She made up Jar Jar and the political system of Naboo.
But in all seriousness, it would be amazing if the Star Wars saga could be rebooted under a competent director at some point in the future. I doubt George Lucas would permit such a thing while he’s alive, though, and I sort of suspect he might have put something in his will to make it legally impossible even afterward.
Actually, the Star Wars cannon has Boba Fett escaping the sarlaac (Sandworm). OF all the Star Wars books published the only ones I’ve read have Boba Fett in them…yes, an intriguing character. I’d love to see a movie with Boba Fett as some sort of Eastwoodian character smiting the wicked from his ship…Slave 1.
Hmmm. Would it be a Good Star Wars movie? No. But it would be better than the prequels. If you’re not going to make cultural epics, you should at least make movies that are awesome.
“better than the prequels”?
That’s the very definition of damning with faint praise!
I believe that should read, “Boba Fett was the coolest SW character outside the main band of rebels, EVEN AFTER he apparently got snarfed up by a giant sand worm.”
Boba Fett is a clone of his father, Jango Fett, who is the greatest bounty hunter of all time. Jango Fett is also who is cloned to create the clone army which become the stormtroopers.
I never understood the whole Boba Fett thing. He’s smart enough to track Han Solo, I give him that, but he doesn’t actually catch him, so “big deal” overall. He gets Solo’s body and runs away. The next time he sees action, he barely gets into action before being easily dispatched by a Jedi with basically Padawan skills. Yawn. Jango ran away from Obi Wan and was easy killed by Mace Windu. Most. Overated. Character. Ever.
And how many other normal humans in the Star Wars universe have fought a full-trained Jedi one on one and survived?
Jedi, meh. There ain’t a one of ‘em that could stand up to that greatest of space adventurers, Captain James Tiberus Kirk. One flying drop kick, one witty comment, and the Cap’n would be off to Endor to Kirk-ize Princess Leia.
Exactly. Boba to Darth Vader…”He’s no good to me dead.” Want some cheese with that whine? Geez. What a loser.
Former skeptic – None? Jango had help on the rainy platform in AOTC when he ran away from Obi Wan who was trying to catch him, not kill him. Boba as a kid was a real loser as well. Another great bit of casting by Lucas.
Are we incapable of coming up with new SciFi characters, now? Are we going to dredge the mud at the bottom of the Star Wars well forever? Let it go.
The theme song was written years ago. Hum a few bars of “My backpack’s got jets…”
Quilly Mammoth is correct, even the almighty Sarlaac can not kill Boba Fett. Those were great books. Make this movie!!!
I’ll pay money to see it the movie begins with the assissination of JarJar.
Yousa saying meesa gonna die?
You and that rebel Obi Wan are the only ones that know the origin of Anakin, besides the Emperor. You’re also the only one that knows that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine conned you into nominating him for emergency powers. You’re the link, and you need to be snuffed, lessa yousa says something.
“You’re the link, and you need to be snuffed, lessa yousa says something.”
And because you’re an irritating space amphibian with fewer brains than a newt.
What? It’s TRUE.
Well Lucas canned the Star Wars live-action tv series. Why not a Boba Fett tv series. I could be cheaper than following a boatload of rebels around. Sort of Kung Fu meets the Fall Guy in space.
Preferably in a way loud, messy and embarrassing. Sometimes potentially epic characters check out in pretty plebiean ways. George S Patton Jr died in a hospital bed following a car accident. We can’t all self nuke like the antagonist in Predator.
“Boba Fett is a clone of his father, Jango Fett, who is the greatest bounty hunter of all time. Jango Fett is also who is cloned to create the clone army which become the stormtroopers.”
Jango Fetts’ father, Django Reinhardt, was also the best jazz guitar player in the galaxy.
He learned how to play while making the Barney Kessel Run in 12 semitones.
At least it wouldn’t be another crappy clone wars cartoon. Man those are all awful.
Robot Chicken has already pretty much taken care of this already.
Making a film centered on Boba would be a mistake, as his coolness always came from his minimal screen time. Once you start removing the air of mystery, he immediatly starts loosing coolness. Just look at him after the prequels. So Boba was a whiny little monotone brat? -4 pts coolness. Although Ruprecht’s concept may just be coolest idea for a tv show ever: “Sort of Kung Fu meets the Fall Guy in space.” I’m now going home to do a mashup with clips of Boba Fett done to the Fall Guy theme song…
Quilly mentions an “Eastwoodian” character but I’ve always thought of Boba Fett as being more “McQueenian.” Hmmm, maybe because of “Wanted Dead or Alive.”
Yes, Lucas is the anti-director. If he came in contact with a real director, all your Star Wars DVDs would self-annihilate. Still, you have to keep in mind the target audience – 8 year old boys. That excuses a lot, like goofy character names. (Chewbacca? Why, yes, don’t mind if I do…)
After a recent re-watch of all 6 in release order, I find redeeming qualities in most of the characters – even Jar-Jar. “Ooh, icky goo!”, for instance, is a line I’m keeping for the right occasion. I just know I’ll get to use it before, or perhaps when, I die. The Ewoks push it over the nausea line, but even their vocalizations are funny in the right setting. (“Hot Chihuahua!”)
But one must accentuate the positive. Lucas gets points for being on the same set with the Obi-Wans, and the Dark Lord rules OK. I can never get enough Palpatine. Yes, the name thing again, but what would you have called him?
The writing deserves a little credit for worthy understatement, if you look for it. We’re left to ourselves to appreciate just how much the dark side clouds perception and judgment. Ray shields? Yes, they were smarter than that.
The best thing I can say for Lucas is he built on a strong and simple philosophical basis, and then left it almost completely alone. The light side / dark side dichotomy is just a different telling of the thing that ensnared Eve. (NB – Not a Star Wars character, different story.) It supports a quiet believability that would have been squandered if referenced more directly than by a throwaway line from Yoda.
But in the end I can never forgive Lucas for Mannikin Skywalker. I had to mute the movie every time he opened his mouth. If Jango or Boba could somehow make that pod race end with fiery Mannikin paste, I’d sleep in line to see it.
“Yes, Lucas is the anti-director. If he came in contact with a real director, all your Star Wars DVDs would self-annihilate.”
That line actually made me laugh out loud. I am SO stealing that next time I’m in the company of Star Wars geeks.
Only way this will be any good at all is if Lucas:
1) Lets Sam Raimi produce and direct
2) Cast Bruce Campbell as Boba Fett.
Boba Fett, pffft. Over rated. Wedge. Wedge would be the spin off movies. Flew the wing of the most targeted Star Wars characters and lived to tell the tale. Antilles would have served along side Kirk as a security guard wearing a red shirt….and LIVED. Antilles FTW.
Absolutely!!! I remember taking the family to see “Episode I” and we all sat there mortified by the sheer likeness to an episode of “Barney, the friendly purple dinosaur”.
I’m currently running a Multiverser RPG with Jar Jar as the Minion/Wayopener for Cthulhu.
Hey, Jar Jar’s planet had a big undersea alien race….where Sleeping Dead Gods Lie? I should have used that, instead I had the planet Ryleh.