Writer/director Justin Simien has confirmed that his Lando Calrissian project, which would have starred Donald Glover, is no longer happening. Apparently, Disney canned it, despite a plethora of materials being produced in pre-production.
“It was pretty developed,” Simien told Collider. “Yeah, there was a Bible, there was concept art, there were scripts, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
“I am in grief. I do not feel good. I have to let myself feel those feelings,” said Simien. “There’s so much that I experience that I get to keep forever and take into the next project. I can’t obviously take the storyline or the IP or the characters, but there’s so much more that I got, as a maker, and that’s mine. Sorry, it’s too late, you can’t take that part back.”
The decision to cancel ‘Lando’ might, or might not, have to do with Simien’s 2023 Disney movie, “Haunted Mansion,” bombing at the box-office. It doesn’t help that LucasFilm and Kathleen Kennedy have completely destroyed the Star Wars brand and have absolutely no idea what they’re doing.
Simien does add that Disney could have handled the situation a little better. Reflecting on when he found out “Lando” had fallen apart, he said, “It became clear. They probably won’t want me to say this, but I knew it was official when I read it in the trades. But the writing was super on the wall.”
So, after this failed project, what is Simien up to next? More big IP. He’ll be tackling “Star Trek,” collaborating with Alex Kurtzman and Tawny Newsome on the first ever ‘Trek’ live-action comedy series.
Meanwhile, LucasFilm continues to be a hot mess. I am utterly convinced that they don’t have any coherent plans as to how to steer the sinking ship in the right direction. Is the Rey movie, which is supposed to be the start of a new trilogy, even going to happen? In the meantime, they have “The Mandalorian and Grogu” being released in May 2026.