Donald Glover Shatters Star Wars Records with Groundbreaking Achievement
Donald Glover's debut as Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars series marks a groundbreaking milestone for the franchise, solidifying his position as an exceptional actor and writer
Highlights
Donald Glover and his brother are set to write and star in the upcoming Disney+ series Lando, marking the first instance of an individual simultaneously undertaking both roles in a Star Wars endeavor. Originally headed by Justin Simien, the series experienced a setback when he departed the project, resulting in a delay. Simien has since shifted his focus to Disney's Haunted Mansion film.Despite the production delays caused by the strike action, the episodic nature of Lando is viewed positively and has the potential to restore faith among fans in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Donald Glover, along with his brother, is making history for the Star Wars franchise with their upcoming Disney Plus series. In Lando, Glover will once again portray the iconic character Lando Calrissian, as seen in the 2018 film.
Solo: A Star Wars Story takes place a decade before A New Hope and follows the early escapades of smuggler Han Solo and his faithful partner Chewbacca as they embark on a risky heist connected to the criminal underbelly of the galaxy. Despite being marketed and framed as a space western, the film failed to resonate with Star Wars fans who felt that Han Solo didn't require an origin story. Though the movie didn't perform as well as expected at the box office, critics acknowledged its enjoyable and fast-paced nature, largely attributed to Donald Glover's portrayal of Lando Calrissian.
In 2020, it was confirmed that Disney Plus would produce a Star Wars series centered around Lando Calrissian, with Donald Glover reprising his role. While there has been limited progress on the project thus far due to Glover's busy schedule, recent updates indicate that things will kick into high gear soon. According to Variety, Donald Glover, accompanied by his brother Stephen Glover, a talented musician and screenwriter, will take on the roles of writers for the show. This marks the first time an individual has both written and starred in a Star Wars project.
Following the departure of Justin Simien, who was initially appointed as the showrunner, the Glover brothers stepped in to take charge behind the scenes of the Star Wars project. Simien, who had invested considerable time and effort in developing the show, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "It feels like everybody loves it." However, he was informed that the production had to be put on hold due to scheduling conflicts, and the next update he received was several years later in 2020. As Simien remained unaware of the current status of the project, he embarked on his new venture as the head of Disney's Haunted Mansion film, which features renowned actors such as Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto.
Disney's latest projects are facing uncertainty due to a labor dispute, which has also affected the production of Lando. Despite the Glover brothers already being on board, the strike has halted progress on this particular project. However, this delay might actually work in favor of the team behind Lando, as it allows them to avoid the negative attention surrounding other Disney projects. Moreover, the decision to create Lando as an episodic series is seen as a positive step, with fans noting that this format could have benefited Solo: A Star Wars Story. The success of this spin-off and its ability to redeem Solo remains to be seen. Watch the Star Wars saga on Disney Plus.
Source: Variety, The Direct
