Star Wars shock: Obi-Wan Kenobi movie STILL ON after all – despite Solo ‘flop’?

Though (still) nothing official has been said by LucasFilm, it seems earlier speculation that all standalone movies are on hold wasn’t entirely accurate.

As noticed by Den of Geek, a report has been published by the Belfast Telegraph mentioning that Star Wars crews are still expected in the Northern Irish capital next Spring – and not for Episode 9.

It had previously been revealed that George Lucas was in the country before Christmas on official business, and now it seems the Paint Hall studios in the city’s Titanic Quarter are still preparing to host the franchise in April 2019.

It’s reported that the same location will be used for a Game of Thrones prequel in October, and the Superman prequel series Krypton.

“This is fantastic news for everyone at the studio – from the cast and the crew, right down to the riggers and the catering staff,” a Paint Hall spokesperson told Sunday Life.

An Obi-Wan movie has been rumoured for years now, but never officially confirmed.

After Solo: A Star Wars Story failed to meet expectations at the box office, it was rumoured that all further spin-offs had been halted – though Ron Howard soon hinted that wasn’t the case.

“I don’t think it’s entirely accurate [to say all spin-offs are cancelled],” he told TMZ.

“I think that was reported but I don’t think that’s right.”

He added: “Everybody at LucasFilm and Disney really cares about the fans, so I think it’s an ongoing process of discovering what it can be and what it can add up to.

“It’s a process and I like the fact that, personally, they take some chances, take some risks and see how people respond to it.”

Howard also played down the notion that Solo was a disaster. “This movie did really well for me,” he said. “I had a great time.

“I had a great experience and exit polls were great and reaction was terrific and among fans.”

However he conceded: “The economic side of it was not what everybody was looking for.”

Star Wars: Episode 9 goes into production over the summer.