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Solo: A Star Wars Story failed to create any waves within the Star Wars fanbase, yet Lando Calrissian is still getting his very own live-action series, simply titled Lando. First portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in The Empire Strikes Back, the smuggler-turned-administrator of Cloud City has endured as a canonical favorite. Even though he initially betrays Han Solo to the Empire, his redemption arc finds him not only rescuing his old friend but also leading the Rebel fleet in an attack on the Death Star. With his strategic nature and administrative connections, Lando has proven to be quite integral in the original trilogy.
So, it’s obvious that when Han Solo got his standalone prequel, Lando received his fair share of screen time. Despite the Solo spinoff being a mistake for Lucasfilm, audiences still praised Donald Glover’s take on Lando. Glover’s performance was singled out as one of Solo‘s highlights, leading to speculation of a spinoff movie or series. Since The Mandalorian, Star Wars has opened up the potential to explore diverse live-action prequels and spinoffs, including Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor. Adding more depth and backstory to a beloved character like Lando only seems to go in tandem with the franchise’s vision.
Lando Latest News
In an interview with Cinema Blend during the 2022 Star Wars Celebration Event, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that a Lando Calrissian series is in the cards for the franchise, but the main factor delaying its production is leading man Donald Glover’s busy schedule. In 2022 alone, Glover completed the final two seasons of Atlanta — including a perfect Halloween episode — for which he served as showrunner, director, screenwriter, and lead actor. With Glover also creating and acting in the 2023 shows Swarm and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Glover hasn’t found time to return to Star Wars. Meanwhile, as Kennedy says, she’s “patiently waiting.”
Lando Confirmed
A live-action Lando series was confirmed in December 2020 along with many other Star Wars titles. These potential shows and movies were announced by Kathleen Kennedy at The Walt Disney Company’s Investor Day event. As stated in a report on the official Star Wars website, the future Lucasfilm projects included Lando along with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, Andor, A Droid Story, The Bad Batch, and the Patty Jenkins feature film Rogue Squadron, which has since been canceled.
Lando Cast Details
While Donald Glover is expected to reprise his role as Lando Calrissian, original Lando actor Billy Dee Williams should also make an appearance. He was last seen in a brief appearance in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The situation is also uncertain for any of Glover’s co-stars from Solo: A Star Wars Story. For instance, Emilia Clarke, who played the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate leader Qi’ra, revealed in a 2021 Happy Sad Confused podcast episode that she has not been contacted yet to appear in any Lando-related series.
Lando Creator
In the 2020 Investors Day announcement, Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that Justin Simien would be developing the story for a Lando series and serving as its creator. Simien broke out in 2013 for directing the coming-of-age satire Dear White People. He also created the Netflix adaptation of Dear White People and the 2020 witch-focused horror comedy Bad Hair. He is also directing Disney’s theme park ride adaptation Haunted Mansion, which will release in July 2023. While Simien has not revealed much about the Lando project, the official Star Wars website refers to the filmmaker as “a huge Star Wars fan.”
Where Lando Could Fit In The Star Wars Timeline?
Kathleen Kennedy seems to be too enthusiastic to get Donald Glover on board, which clearly implies that Lando is highly likely to serve as another prequel to the original trilogy. But the Lando series can also be a sequel to Solo: A Star Wars Story, which introduced a younger Lando Calrissian as a gambler who is proficient at winning through dishonorable means. Given that Lando’s betrayal at Cloud City also revealed his loyalty to its citizens, Lando might shed light on what fueled the character’s political journey as an administrator. Andor fleshed out its protagonist’s political and rebellious origins well, leaving space for Lando’s ideological evolution to be similarly explored.
At the same time, if Billy Dee Williams joins the cast, then Lando can also incorporate a post-Rise of Skywalker timeline delving into the trials and tribulations of an aging Lando. As seen in Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett, the Star Wars TV shows are already exploring arcs around characters with an eventful past. With Hayden Christensen’s comeback in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the franchise has shown how it can bring back old faces not just for fan service but also to add emotional depth to the respective characters they play. Seeing Billy Dee Williams return for more than a cameo would be refreshing for fans.
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