A Star Wars spinoff series featuring Lando Calrissian has been shelved. Justin Simien, the original showrunner for the project, recently disclosed that the Disney+ series, which was set to star Donald Glover reprising his role from Solo: A Star Wars Story, will not be moving forward as initially planned.
Simien, known for his work on Dear White People, revealed the project's fate during a promotional interview for his latest venture, Hollywood Black, an MGM+ docuseries exploring racial representation in the film industry. The filmmaker shared insights with Collider into the extensive development process that had already taken place for the Lando series.
"It was pretty developed," Simien explained. "There was a Bible. There was concept art. There were scripts. But it just wasn't meant to be."
Given Lando's established popularity and the critical acclaim for Glover's portrayal in the 2018 film, the project had seemed poised for success. Initially announced in 2020, the series was set to explore further adventures of the younger Lando Calrissian, a character originally brought to life by Billy Dee Williams in the original trilogy.
Simien likened the experience to a grieving process, pointing out the high level of emotional attachment many creators form to their work. "For me, it has to be done pretty straight on. Like, 'I am in grief. I do not feel good.' I have to let myself feel those feelings," Simien admitted.
"It is true grief. I've never had a child, I've never lost a child, but it's what I imagine that pain might be like. You pour so much of your heart and soul into something, but ultimately, you don't have control over whether it lives or dies, and it is a true grieving process."
The filmmaker stressed the importance of confronting these feelings head-on, advocating for a direct approach to processing the disappointment. Despite the setback, Simien maintains a positive outlook, focusing on the valuable lessons learned during the development process.
"There's so much that I experience that I get to keep forever and take into the next project. I can't obviously take the storyline or the IP or the characters, but there's so much more that I got, as a maker, and that's mine. Sorry, it's too late, you can't take that part back," he stated.
The exact reasons behind the cancellation of the Lando series remain unclear. However, reports per Above the Line, suggest that the project may be undergoing a transformation rather than outright cancellation. There are indications that the concept is being redeveloped as a feature film, with Donald Glover and his brother, Stephen Glover, taking the helm of the new iteration.
For Simien, the end of his involvement with the Lando series marks a transition to new creative horizons. The filmmaker has already set his sights on another beloved science fiction franchise, with plans to develop a live-action Star Trek comedy series. This new project, announced at San Diego Comic-Con, promises to explore the lighter side of the Star Trek universe, focusing on "Federation outsiders serving a gleaming resort planet [who] find out their day-to-day exploits are being broadcast to the entire quadrant."
Simien expressed his enthusiasm for this new venture, telling Collider, "I literally grew up watching that show and wishing I could go to space. I'm living that childhood dream right now."