Yahoo Movies 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' writer says a Disney+ sequel would be a 'tough sell'
Solo: A Star Wars Story writer Jonathan Kasdan has poured cold water on hopes of a sequel to the Han Solo spin-off, saying it would be a “tough sell” even on streaming platform Disney+.
The screenwriter, who penned the 2018 sci-fi adventure with his father Lawrence Kasdan, revealed that he thinks a sequel is far from being at the forefront of the studio’s mind.
Featuring Alden Ehrenreich as a younger take on Harrison Ford’s roguish smuggler Han Solo, the movie — directed by Ron Howard — was divisive with fans and critics.
Read more: Was Solo the first Star Wars movie to fail?
Kasdan replied to a fan question on Twitter, saying he doesn’t believe that “anyone’s pursuing” a sequel to Solo.
He wrote: “I think a feature, at this point, would be a tough sell & the D+ Star Wars slate is really... pretty packed, all shows I'm looking forward to.“
Don't think anyone's pursuing a Solo sequel at the moment @KenobiJj I think a feature, at this point, would be a tough sell & the D+ Star Wars slate is really...pretty packed, all shows I'm lookin forward to. My work on Indy is long over but I'm excited there's forward movement!
— Jon Kasdan (@JonKasdan) March 30, 2020
Certainly appreciate but hard to advocate for & here's why: with multiple SW series in development/production, set at different points in the timeline. Without knowing what stories they're telling (& I don't) hard to know what a Solo series would even be with so much on the way.
— Jon Kasdan (@JonKasdan) March 31, 2020
In a follow-up tweet, Kasdan added that it was “hard to advocate” for a sequel to the movie, which earned a disappointing $393m (£317m) from a huge budget, even by blockbuster standards.
He said that the wide variety of Star Wars projects currently on the way via Disney+, including The Mandalorian and the upcoming Kenobi, makes it difficult for Solo to fit in.
Kasdan added: “Without knowing what stories they're telling (and I don't) hard to know what a Solo series would even be with so much on the way.”
Read more: Huge demand for The Mandalorian as UK gets Disney+
As well as being something of a box office disappointment, Solo split film critics and audiences, earning a 70% critical approval score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 63% score among audience members using the site.
Solo was surrounded by controversy prior to its release, with original directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller sacked from the movie deep into production.
Howard was parachuted in to complete principal photography and carry out reshoots, with the Lego Movie duo still credited as executive producers.
Read more: Easter eggs hidden in Solo: A Star Wars Story
The struggles around Solo are believed to be part of the reason that Bob Iger announced a Star Wars hiatus on the big screen.
Following the release of The Rise of Skywalker, the future of Star Wars for the time being would appear to be on the small screen, with The Mandalorian already set for a second season to debut later this year.
