Ever since Disney acquired Lucasfilm and started producingStar Warscontent like there’s no tomorrow, Lucasfilm has been experimenting with a few different genres:The Mandalorianis a revisionist western,Rogue Oneis a spy thriller, andThe Book of Boba Fettisset to be a revenge-driven spaghetti western. One genre that could really bring a fresh perspective to theStar Warsuniverse is horror.
TheStar Warsuniverse is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, rife with nefarious baddies and cold-blooded killers. It would make the perfect setting for an interstellar horror movie – and Marvel is setting a precedent for that to happen. Marvel has hired Sam Raimi, the legendary filmmaker behindThe Evil Dead, to directDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessasthe MCU’s first full-blown horror film, so there’s precedent for Lucasfilm to produce a Lovecraftian cosmic horror movie set in theStar Warsuniverse.
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There are a number of genres that it’d be fun to see theStar Warsfranchise explore –a neo-noir set on the streets of Coruscantor a gangster epic set in the criminal underbelly of Tatooine or a political thriller set on the floor of the Galactic Senate could all be interesting – but one genre that Lucasfilm has left entirely untapped (save for a couple of surprisingly unsettling episodes of the animated series) is horror. Looking at theStar Warsuniverse through the lens of the horror genre could be the perfect way to translate H.P. Lovecraft’s infamously unadaptable vision to the big screen.
Cosmic horror is one of the trickiest horror subgenres to pull off effectively. FromEvent HorizontoIn the Mouth of Madness, Lovecraft-inspired cosmic horror movies tend to bomb both critically and financially. However, it can be done. A couple of great recent examples includeAnnihilationandColor Out of Space, which brought their speculative worlds to life with disturbing imagery and intriguing mysteries.
In a galaxy far, far away, no one can hear you scream. There have always been jump scares in theStar Warssaga, from the Tusken Raider popping out to attack Luke in the Tatooine desert to the Wampa jumping out to attack Luke on the snowy plains of Hoth, so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch tobring a horror sensibilityto the franchise. InThe Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jar Jar are attacked by a gigantic fish, only to be saved when an even more gigantic fish eats that one. This is a fictional universe crawling with terrifying, bloodthirsty monsters. And the Sith Lords are even scarier than the alien beasts. Darth Maul looks exactly like the “lipstick demon” fromInsidious.
ForColin Trevorrow’s ultimately unproduced version ofEpisode IX, the Lucasfilm concept art team had a lot of fun designing Palpatine’s master Tor Valum, who Kylo Ren was going to track down. Tor Valum was described in Trevorrow’s script (co-written with Derek Connolly) as a 7,000-year-old Lovecraftian beast. The darker corners of theStar Warsuniverse where these characters are lurking would make the ideal setting for a spooky intergalactic adventure.
From Sith cultists to the Zillo Beast, there are a bunch of elements from theStar Warsuniverse that Lucasfilm could use as the basis of a horror movie set in Lucas’ curious, pulpy universe. Hollywood is filled withmasterful horror directorswith both a sharp command of cinematic tension and a confessed affinity for theStar Warsfranchise, like James Wan and Guillermo del Toro, who could helm such a project. Raimi himself could even helm aStar Warshorror movie after he’s done giving Marvel their first horror movie with Stephen Strange’s adventures in the multiverse. His groundbreakingSpider-Mantrilogy proved his ability to faithfully adapt a beloved existing I.P. while bringing plenty of his own unique flair to the table.
Kevin Feige has confirmed thatDeadpool 3isthe only R-rated MCU effort on the horizon, soDoctor Strange 2will probably be rated PG-13 like the rest of the franchise’s big-screen outings. But PG-13 horror movies likeThe OthersandA Quiet Placeand Raimi’s ownDrag Me to Hellhave proven that well-directed horror cinema doesn’t need an R rating to be genuinely scary. The R rating allows for gratuitous bloodshed, but if anything, that detracts from the effectiveness of the terror. What really makes a horror movie work is its command of suspense.Jawsis one of the scariest movies ever made – a thriller that Hitchcock would’ve been proud of – and it’s rated PG.
DC’s own horror-oriented project,Aquamanspin-offThe Trench,was recently shelved, but Marvel is keeping the prospect of horror blockbusters alive with the Sorcerer Supreme’s next on-screen adventure. If Marvel finds success withDoctor Strange 2’s foray into family-friendly frights, then Lucasfilm should seriously consider following suit and bringing a healthy dose of fear and dread to a galaxy far, far away.
