A previously unknown Star Wars movie from the creative team behind Paddington 2 and Wonka never made it out of development after Lucasfilm decided its robot-centered story was not quite right for the franchise.
Writer Simon Farnaby has revealed that he and longtime collaborator Paul King were approached about making a Star Wars film, with King expected to direct. Instead of building the story around an established Jedi, Skywalker or other familiar character, they developed an idea centered on a robot.
“They were like, we really need it to be a Star Wars movie,” Farnaby told Variety. Looking back at why it stalled, he admitted, “But we never really nailed it.”
The underlying idea survived. Farnaby says Disney offered him and King the opportunity to remove it from the Star Wars universe and redevelop it as an original science-fiction movie, a project the pair is now working on.
The Scrapped Star Wars Movie Was Built Around a Robot
Farnaby disclosed the abandoned project while discussing his career with Variety, revealing that he and King had once been given an opportunity to develop a movie for the galaxy far, far away.
The pair already had an established creative partnership. King directed Paddington and Paddington 2, with Farnaby joining him as co-writer on the second film. They later co-wrote Wonka, which King directed.
Their Star Wars idea took a less conventional route. Farnaby described the central character simply as a robot, while subsequent coverage has characterized the proposed movie as a droid-focused story that did not depend on established franchise characters.
Lucasfilm Wanted Something That Felt More Like Star Wars
Farnaby recalled being told, “We really need it to be a Star Wars movie,” before acknowledging that he and King never fully solved that creative problem. The studio is currently moving forward with another movie built around new characters.
Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy, has officially been described by Lucasfilm as an entirely original standalone adventure set during a period the franchise has not previously explored on film.
Its cast is led by Ryan Gosling and also includes Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings and Amy Adams.
Farnaby said Disney subsequently suggested that he and King take what they had developed and reshape it as a standalone science-fiction film outside the Star Wars universe. The filmmakers accepted that option and are now working on the new version.
The Cancellation Happened Years Before the Latest Star Wars Release
The Mandalorian and Grogu returned Star Wars to movie theaters earlier this year. Farnaby’s account shows that the two events are unrelated.
He said he and King eventually moved on and made Wonka, which reached theaters in December 2023. Their unsuccessful attempt to crack the Star Wars concept therefore took place years before The Mandalorian and Grogu opened in May 2026.
The Mandalorian and Grogu opened domestically with approximately $81.7 million and has earned about $345.2 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
Its opening was the lowest for a Disney-era live-action Star Wars feature, coming in below the $84.4 million opening of 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Starfighter Shows Lucasfilm Is Still Building Movies Around New Characters
Star Wars: Starfighter comes to theaters on May 28, 2027. #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/dsbVb3VdBY
— Star Wars (@starwars) April 18, 2025
Lucasfilm’s next new Star Wars feature is Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and scheduled for theatrical release on May 28, 2027. Lucasfilm describes the movie as an “all-new standalone adventure” and an entirely original story set in a previously unexplored period of the franchise.
The studio previously announced that the story takes place approximately five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with Gosling playing a brand-new character. Production began in the U.K. in 2025, with Jonathan Tropper writing the screenplay and Levy and Kathleen Kennedy producing.
The movie will reach theaters under a Lucasfilm leadership structure that changed in January 2026. Kennedy stepped down as president after 14 years and returned to full-time producing, while Dave Filoni became president and chief creative officer alongside co-president Lynwen Brennan. Kennedy remains a producer on Starfighter.