Not long ago, Disney put in motion an ambitious plan to release one new Star Wars movie a year, much in the same way it releases new Marvel movies every year. But thanks to the failings of Rogue One and Solo, Disney has decided to rethink its strategy with an approach that’s more leisurely.
In a sprawling interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Disney CEO Bob Iger touches on topics ranging from the James Gunn firing to the acquisition of Fox. He also admitted that his idea to release more Star Wars films more quickly was a mistake.
“I made the timing decisions, and as I look back, I think the mistake that I made—I take the blame—was a little too much, too fast,” Iger said. “You can expect some slowdown, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to make films.”
After Star Wars: Episode IX, Disney doesn’t have a set schedule of films coming out. However, the company does have several big projects in the works, including new films from Rian Johnson and the minds behind HBO’s Game of Thrones. Not to mention there could potentially be more spinoff films.
“We are just at the point where we’re going to start making decisions about what comes next after J.J.’s [Episode IX],” Iger said. “But I think we’re going to be a little more careful about volume and timing.”
If Iger makes good on his word, then following the release of Star Wars: Episode IX in 2019, we won’t see any new Star Wars projects hit theaters in 2020. That being said, we could still see new Star Wars content hit Disney’s upcoming streaming service, which is set to launch next year.
