Summary
Famed director Guillermo del Toro was this close to bringing his uniquely surreal style into theStar Warsuniverse. But it turns out fate had other plans. Now, the man behindThe Shape of WaterandPacific Rimhas finally broken his silence on this unfortunately canceled project, givingStar Warsfans one more thing to lament.
Del Toro is known for his excellent creature work, and a franchise likeStar Warsis perfect for something like that. Even just the cantina scene in 1977’sA New Hopeintroduced a more eclectic assortment of beings than most entire series to this day. So it should be no surprise that not only was del Toro working on aStar Warsproject at one point, but it was also going to be about one of the most infamous grotesque aliens in the entire galaxy: Jabba the Hutt.
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In an interview withCollider, del Toro finally revealed some of the details behind the canceled movie, and it turns out he was just as disappointed to lose it as the fans likely are right now. “We had the rise and fall of Jabba the Hutt, so I was super happy,” he revealed before lamenting the ultimate cancelation of the project. “We were doing a lot of stuff, and then it’s not my property, it’s not my money, and then it’s one of those 30 screenplays that goes away. Sometimes I’m bitter, sometimes I’m not. I always turn to my team and say, ‘Good practice, guys. Good practice. We designed a great world. We designed great stuff. We learned.'”
It seems the man who brought on theparanormal romance ofThe Shape of Waterstill has a pragmatic view despite being invested in the Jabba the Hutt story. “You can never be ungrateful with life,” del Toro continued. “Whatever life sends you, there’s something to be learned from it. So, you know, I trust the universe, I do. When something doesn’t happen, I go, ‘Why?’ I try to have a dialogue with myself. ‘Why didn’t it happen?’ And the more you swim upstream with the universe, the less you’re gonna realize where you’re going.”
Despite recently creating asurprisingly heartwarming take onPinocchio, del Toro’s filmography tends to tilt more towards the twisted side of things. So, after seeing what someone like Tony Gilroy pulled off with the genuinely amazingAndorseries, seeing what thePan’s Labyrinthdirector could bring toStar Warsis positively enticing. Unfortunately, that’s not how things shook out, but considering what the franchise has managed to pull off in the past, it may be practical to avoid saying “never.”
Del Toro’s best filmsmay often be where he has complete creative control, which doesn’t feel like somethingStar Warswould do for someone as eclectic as him. So, perhaps canceling this project was a blessing in disguise. Still, it’s hard not to think about what might have been. A del Toro-designed Jabba would be one heck of a spectacle.
