Disney and Lucasfilm have already announced several spin-offs set in the Star Wars universe, including a Han Solo standalone movie and Yoda film. If rumor is to be believed, everyone's favorite Jedi master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, will be getting his own adventure.
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The report comes from makingstarwars.net, an official rumormill blog of sorts that obviously has Bothan spies working on set. Many of which died to bring us this information, no doubt.
"I've heard from quite a few people now that an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie is in the works," they state. "For the spin-off movies they were initially going to stay away from any Jedi or Sith characters. But I'm hearing now that because of the popularity of Obi-Wan (fans recently voting for him on the official website etc) that an art team is now working with a writer on concepts for an Obi-Wan movie."
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Kenobi was played by both Sir Alec Guinness, as the series' lone Oscar nominee in the original Star Wars trilogy, and more recently by Ewan MacGregor in the prequel trilogy. Both performances are among the highlights of their respective films.
Given that Kenobi died in what may be one of the greatest cinematic deaths, the new standalone film would more than likely be a prequel story, outlining the rise of one of the galaxy's greatest Jedi. I say 'more than likely' because people have been known to come back in ridiculously contrived ways in the SW universe, and after all, Obi-Wan is technically a space wizard.
Obi-Wan's younger days have already been explored in the Expanded Universe via the Jedi Apprentice by Dave Wolverton and Jude Watson; and Jedi Quest series by Jude Watson. The new 'official' trilogy is removing the EU post-Return of the Jedi and voiding it, however, the prequel books could still be in play. Though I highly doubt they will hew to those events.
At the very least, hopefully this means that one of my favorite characters, Qui-Gonn Jinn, can make another appearance. I know Liam Neeson would be up for it.
