James Mangold has recently spoken about his Star Wars' Dawn of the Jedi story happens or not remains to be seen, but Mangold has provided some teases for what to expect.

In an interview with MovieWeb, Mangold expressed his desire to tap into the freedom of making something new in Star Wars. Mangold insisted that this is the main focus for him and his co-writer, Andor's Beau Willimon, when penning the script, stating that the duo are trying to find a way to "say something original." Mangold summarized these thoughts by stating:

"The Star Wars movie would be taking place 25,000 years before any known Star Wars movies takes place. It's an area and a playground that I've always [wanted to explore] and that I was inspired by as a teenager. I'm not that interested in being handcuffed by so much lore at this point that it's almost immovable, and you can't please anybody."

Evidently, Mangold is putting a lot of thought and care into this project. In delving further back into the Star Wars timeline, Mangold is trying to bring a sense of originality to Star Wars that may not be as prevalent in the familiar trappings of the Skywalker Saga.

James Mangold Understands The Emotional Appeal Of Star Wars

Mangold Gets What Makes The Franchise Magical

On a deeper level, Mangold's comments mean that he truly gets the emotional appeal of the Star Wars franchise. In stating that the franchise feels like a playground that he has been inspired by since he was a teenager, he understands what Star Wars is at its core. Star Wars is a franchise that inspires, be it children watching for the first time, teenagers viewing the more mature projects, or adults getting a hit of nostalgia.

Mangold's insistence on tapping into that feeling of inspiration and crafting a story unshackled by other installments in the franchise sums up Star Wars well. After all, the franchise began thanks to George Lucas' sheer determination to tell a whacky space story that no one, himself included, believed would be a success. Thankfully, Mangold understands that the Star Wars sandbox is exactly that, a place for imagination and inspiration to lead the crafting of a compelling story.

Our Take On James Mangold's Promise

While Mangold's comments are certainly exciting and I believe he does understand the appeal of the franchise, one part of his words does strike a chord of concern for me. It is worth noting that this concern is not directed towards Mangold's film, but the Star Wars franchise as a whole. Mangold's insistence that he needs to travel back 25,000 years in the Star Wars timeline to not be "handcuffed by so much lore at this point that it's almost immovable, and you can't please anybody" is somewhat worrying.

This implies that connecting to known parts of the Star Wars franchise is precisely the element that causes division among fans. Arguments often tend to spawn out of explorations of Star Wars canon, though not always. That said, it seems as though creators like Mangold, who are coming into the franchise for the first time, feel the need to distance themselves from canon and established lore to tell a story that resonates with fans on the whole. This is a worrying implication as it may have been proven true recently within the Star Wars fandom.

Source: MovieWeb