The working title for the in-development putting together an anthology film for Kenobi, who is unquestioningly one of the most important characters in Star Wars lore. Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) is said to be in early talks to helm the project, which currently has no release date. In fact, details are so slim right now, Ewan McGregor hasn't formally signed on yet.
It remains to be seen what story Obi-Wan tells, but it's long been speculated the film will cover the roughly 20-year period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, when Kenobi was on the desert world Tatooine watching over young Luke Skywalker. As fans wait for official confirmation on Lucasfilm's part, the latest development on the spinoff indicates this is exactly what is in the cards.
According to Omega Underground, the working title for Obi-Wan is Joshua Tree. While some Star Wars working titles have been quite silly (see: Space Bear; Blue Harvest), this one potentially could be pertinent to the plot. Fans of U2 will recognize the name from the band's critically-acclaimed album, the cover of which features Zabriskie Point in Southern California's Death Valley. That location was used for some of the Tatooine scenes in A New Hope. Unless this is purely coincidental and Lucasfilm is paying homage to Bono and The Edge, it certainly sounds like fans will see the famous planet on the big screen once again.
This does not necessarily mean Obi-Wan would film in the same areas as the original Star Wars, but it is definitely in the realm of possibility. As Omega Underground notes, California has instituted new incentives in an effort to attract high-profile Hollywood productions for production. Bumblebee are two recent examples of tentpoles setting up shop in the state, so it will be interesting to see if Obi-Wan follows suit. In keeping with the modern Star Wars tradition, it's thought the spinoff will first film at UK's Shepperton Studios before moving to real-world locations. Of course, since everything is in the initial stages, it's difficult to say for sure.
Many will be curious to see when Lucasfilm makes an official announcement regarding the Obi-Wan movie, as they were quiet on that front during D23 in July. With Daldry in talks and a working title in place, some progress must have been made on the project, so perhaps more concrete details will be revealed in the near future. Of course, the studio still has a lot on their plate right now with Han Solo continuing to undergo changes, so they may not be ready to share information about Obi-Wan at this point in time.
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Source: Omega Underground
