With “All The Light We Cannot See” hitting Netflix next week, Shawn Levy is making the press rounds to promote his miniseries. And that gives him a chance to talk about his upcoming projects, too, like “Deadpool 3” and the “Star Wars” project he has in development. In a sit-down with “Happy Sad Confused,” Levy talked a bit about what fans should expect from his take on a galaxy far, far away, and there’s one essential thing he can confirm: his film “is not an Ewok origin story.”
When asked about getting involved in the “Star Wars” franchise, Levi replied, “It’s very flattering, it’s very thrilling. I was one of those kids in the ’70s and ’80s. For some reason, it’s “[Return Of The] Jedi” that I remember seeing the most times in the theater. I don’t even know what year, 1983? So yeah, at least a dozen times in the theater. It definitely shaped me, it definitely shaped me.” After a joke about his movie being about Ewoks, Levy joked back, “I can confirm it’s not. It’s the one thing I’m allowed to say: it is not an Ewok origin story.”
So how far along is the project? “Not as far along as I’d like,” Levy answered. “I definitely have an idea; again, a long pause, but very much re-engaging development. I mean, it’s early development. But I’ll also say, I really want to make that movie. And obviously, Kathy [Kennedy] and [Dave] Miloni and all the kind of brain trust at Lucasfilm, they’re all trying to juggle and coordinate a lot of pieces in film and in television.” If Levy and Lucasfilm move ahead with his “Star Wars” project, expect it after the three previously announced new films from earlier this year.
But are Levy and “Star Wars” a good fit? Levi said Kathleen Kennedy certainly thinks so. “The spirit of Kathy’s outreach was, ‘your movies have a consistent sense of fun and warmth, and that’s what we want the Shawn Levy “Star Wars” movie to be, that’s what we want “Star Wars” to be.’ So, I’m running with that mandate. It’s the only way I know how to approach the work anyway. So to play in that sandbox, it’s a blast; and everyday, just cooking up ideas.”
Levi also said “it’s a long runway” from development to the actual production of the project, though. But he nontheless hopes his film captures the tone and energy of the original “Star Wars” trilogy. “Listen, we’ve seen different tones succeed, right?” Levi went on. “We’ve seen “Andor” and its strength. We’ve seen “The Force Awakens” and its strengths. We’ve seen Rian‘s [Johnson] “Star Wars” movie and its strengths. For me, and again, I can only make things that flow from me in an intuitive way…it is a combination of swashbuckling fun, swagger, but also a depth of relationship connections– what are you willing to sacrifice for, either a person or an idea–and in the best Star Wars movie, it’s both.”
So it sounds like Levy’s vision for his “Star Wars” film should please diehard fans, but remember: it’s still pretty far back in the pipeline as far as Lucasfilm projects go. Listen to the entire “Happy Sad Confused” conversation with Shawn Levy below.
