Moviefone Editorial

Tag: spinoff

  • A ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff About Obi-Wan Kenobi Is in the Works: Report

    obi-wan kenobi, star warsThe Force is reportedly still strong with Obi-Wan Kenobi, with the Jedi master set to be the next subject of a standalone “Star Wars” spinoff flick.

    That’s the word from The Hollywood Reporter, which is saying that Obi-Wan — played by the late Sir Alec Guinness in the original trilogy, and Ewan McGregor in the prequel flicks — is the next character from the “Star Wars” universe set to star in his own movie. Han Solo is currently getting the spinoff treatment, with Ron Howard recently taking over directing duties on the as-yet-untitled flick.

    According to THR, a director has already been singled out for the Kenobi gig, with Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry (“The Reader,” “The Hours,” “Billy Elliot”) in early talks to take the job. Currently, the project doesn’t have a script, though if Daldry does indeed sign on, THR says that he will be instrumental in helping Disney and Lucasfilm shape the story and the film’s development.

    It’s unclear at this point if McGregor would reprise the role; he’s been quite vocal in the past about his desire to play the character again, and has said he wants to headline a standalone film. But THR’s story stresses several times that “since there is no script, no actor is attached.”

    While he’s certainly an iconic character, Obi-Wan does seem like an odd choice for a standalone flick, since he’s already been featured so prominently in the franchise. While he was killed off in the first “Star Wars” flick, he still stuck around for some key moments in the other two installments of the original trilogy, and was one of the main stars of all three prequels, filling in a lot of his background already.

    Presumably, this standalone would have to take place either between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope,” or back before the events of “The Phantom Menace.” The pre-“A New Hope” territory has already been covered on the big screen by last year’s spinoff “Rogue One,” though an exploration of the life of Tatooine recluse Ben Kenobi, before he meets Luke Skywalker, could be an interesting angle.

    We’ll have to see which direction filmmakers follow. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]

  • ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Is Set for 2 Spinoff Series on YouTube

    Los Angeles LGBT Center's 47th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards - ArrivalsThree former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestants are sashaying away to exciting new spinoff projects.

    World of Wonder Productions has revealed plans for two original unscripted series starring show alums, Variety reports. Drag queens Justin Johnson and Jay Jackson, also known by their stage names, Alyssa Edwards and Laganja Estranja, will share the screen on one, and Matthew Sanderson, or Detox Icunt, will headline the other.

    Drag “family” members Johnson and Jackson will star in “Haus of Edwards,” a series that centers on Johnson’s dance studio. It sounds a bit like “Dance Moms” meets “Drag Race” — there are “diva dancers” and “deeply involved moms,” according to Variety. Meanwhile, “Detox’s Life Rehab” will bring in surprise guests each week to give life advice alongside the show’s host.

    WOW intends to give both series a digital release on its YouTube channel, with episodes coming weekly. The series are set for eight episodes apiece, and each will be approximately 30 minutes long. They’re expected to debut in late April, so get ready for the big hair, flashy outfits, and fun.

    [via: Variety]

  • ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Spinoff ‘Mayans MC’ Coming to FX

    sons of anarchy, spinoff, mayans mcAfter Sons of Anarchy” spinoff, ordering a pilot for “Mayans MC.”

    The series will focus on the Mayans, a rival biker gang that made trouble for SAMCRO on “Sons.” According to Deadline, “Mayans MC” will be set shortly after the events of the 2014 “Sons” series finale, and will highlight “the struggles of EZ Reyes, a prospect in the Mayan MC charter on the California/Mexico border.”

    “Sons” creator Kurt Sutter is co-creating the project with Elgin James, and the pair will also co-produce the series. James has had a fascinating life so far, seguing from a tough Boston gang to the Sundance Institute. His debut feature, “Little Birds,” premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011, and went on to win a National Board of Review Award; only a few months later, he was serving a one-year jail sentence for gang-related extortion charges.

    “I wanted to find a strong, unique Latino voice,” New Jersey native Sutter said back in May about his collaboration with James. “Because I didn’t think a white guy from Jersey should be writing about Latin culture and traditions. Elgin is that voice.”

    Production on the “Mayans MC” pilot is set to begin in March 2017.

    [via: Deadline]

  • The 35 Best TV Spinoffs Ever

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    Its strange that “Better Call Saul,” which debuts on Feb. 8 on AMC, is so eagerly awaited. After all, how can the series, a prequel of sorts to “Breaking Bad,” be anywhere near as good as the show that spawned it? Sure, the adventures of lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) before he became the money-launderer to Albuquerque’s meth-dealing elite ought to be darkly funny in the way that “Breaking Bad” often was. Nonetheless, history is not on the side of the spinoff.

    That’s because a spinoff is usually an indication of creative bankruptcy, not creative ferment. There’s usually something hacky about taking a character introduced in one show and placing him or her in his own series, or expanding a franchise to create a new show that’s just like the old show but with a different setting.

    Still, as rare as a good spinoff is, it’s less rare than you’d think. In fact, many classic shows are spinoffs, including several you may not have realized were spawned from other shows. Here are 35 of the spinoffs that give us hope for the prospects of “Better Call Saul.”