Star Wars Film Delays Have Been Reportedly Tied to the Construction of a New Studio

The last Star Wars film to hit theaters, Solo: A Star Wars Story, was released a year ago while the next chapter, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, won't be unveiled for another eight months. The upcoming film is set to be the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, leading fans to wonder what could be the next film to move forward into production. Various reports have swirled about why Lucasfilm has yet to announce any release dates for upcoming productions, with a new report noting that it isn't necessarily a move of deception, but that production can't begin on new projects until construction on a new studio is completed to make the movies.

Over at Making Star Wars, the claim is made that future Star Wars films will leave the iconic Pinewood Studios behind, allowing Marvel Studios productions to fully utilize the space. Instead, a new studio is reportedly being built in the London suburb Dagenham. The outlet notes that the "hiatus we are currently having after The Rise of Skywalker is to let the studio construction finish up and to allow the [D.B.] Weiss and [David] Benioff to create the best possible saga without an unreasonable time crunch."

One confirmed project on the horizon is a Disney+ series that will focus on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Cassian Andor, which is reportedly being referred to as "White Snake." Making Star Wars noted that this series is expected to shoot this fall.

Last year's Solo served Lucasfilm one of its only theatrical box office "disappointments," as it earned less than half of the three other Star Wars films released by Disney. The prevailing theory behind the poor reception is tied to the frequency of films hitting theaters, as Solo opened six months after Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Despite the film's accomplishments, Solo failed to build the buzz that its predecessors earned, with Lucasfilm executives revealing on multiple occasions that the studio's priority was The Rise of Skywalker above all else.

Despite official release plans having yet to be confirmed, a series of films was announced from Game of Thrones co-creators Weiss and Benioff, in addition to a trilogy of films being developed by The Last Jedi writer/director Rian Johnson. If production on the Weiss and Benioff films begins next year, we could likely see the first chapter land in theaters in 2021.

The first live-action series in the franchise, Star Wars: The Mandalorian, debuts on Disney+ on November 12th. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th.

What do you think of this new report? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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