Obi-Wan Kenobi film set to join Star Wars universe

A standalone Obi-Wan Kenobi film is set to join the ever-expanding Star Wars universe.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the project is at a very early stage but has already attracted the Oscar-nominated film-maker Stephen Daldry, who is in negotiations to direct. If he joins the film, he will develop from script level with Lucasfilm.

The script is still to be written, and it’s not yet clear what part of Kenobi’s life the film will cover, but it’s likely to be an origin story, following on from the still-shooting Han Solo adventure film, which recently lost its initial directors, Chris Miller and Phil Lord. Ron Howard has taken over as director.

The Kenobi film would join a slate of Star Wars properties that also includes this December’s official sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and rumored films focused on both Yoda and Boba Fett. The last standalone Star Wars film, Rogue One, made more than $1bn worldwide.

Kenobi was played by Alec Guinness in the 1977 film and Ewan McGregor in the later prequels. McGregor has expressed interest in playing the role again. “There’s no official offer, and I haven’t met them about it or anything,” he told Entertainment Weekly earlier this year.

“But I’ve always said that I’d be happy to do it if they wanted to do it. It would be a good segue between the last episode of the prequels and the new episodes. I think they’ve got films to make until the 2020s, so I don’t think it’s going to happen soon if it happens at all.”

Daldry has scored three Oscar nominations for directing Billy Elliott, The Hours and The Reader. Most recently, he has been behind episodes of the Netflix drama The Crown and is attached to bring the Broadway musical Wicked to the screen.