Original Lando Calrissian actor Billy Dee Williams has teased a big Star Wars announcement just days after the Lando Disney+ show reappeared with new writers.
While the two aren't confirmed to be connected, Williams certainly suggested on Twitter (below) that the news is fairly significant, and ended the post with "May the Force be with you all", the iconic Star Wars tagline.
"I am thrilled to share that something truly magnificent is coming soon," Williams said. "This is a dream come true for me, on all that has sustained and carried me through a lifetime of dreams and adventure, it is my honour to share with you."
The tweet, which was posted on August 1, came after the July 28 report that Donald and Stephen Glover have signed on to write the long-dormant Lando TV series, likely seeing the former reprise his role as the titular character following his starring in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
— Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) August 1, 2023
Dear White People creator and original Lando writer Justin Simien wasn't told he was being replaced though, instead finding out alongside the rest of the world on social media. Simien said earlier in July that he had "no idea what's going on" with the show but had "poured [his] heart and spent a lot of time working" on it.
Lando was announced in December 2020 but immediately went quiet as Disney spent more time on other Disney+ shows such as The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Book of Boba Fett.
Glover said earlier this year he and Disney were talking about his return as the titular character, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy later told IGN Glover was "very excited" about it.
Disney has plenty of other Star Wars series on the way though. Clone Wars star Ahsoka finally gets her own show in August that will also bring Rebels characters like Hera, Sabine, and Thrawn to live action for the first time.
These will be followed by the Goonies-esque Skeleton Crew starring Jude Law, the pre-Prequel Trilogy Sith-led show The Acolyte, and the second season of Diego Luna's gritty Rogue One prequel Andor. Fewer shows could be made going forward though, as Disney CEO Bob Iger said the high volume being produced can dilute fans' interest.
Disney is instead leaning back into its movie roots, having recently announced the release dates for three Star Wars films all within a year and a half of each other. In a massive reshuffle that also saw Marvel and Avatar films affected, the long-awaited 2025 Star Wars film, which was set to be the first silver screen premiere since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, was pushed to May 22, 2026.
It's unclear if these are the three films announced during Star Wars Celebration 2023 or pulled from the selection of other floating projects (like Taika Waititi's film), but Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's film starring Daisy Ridley is expected to come first.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/billy-dee-williams-teases-star-wars-announcement-days-after-lando-series-reappears