Original Lando showrunner Justin Simien recently opened up about his grieving process after the Star Wars series was cancelled.
Lucasfilm was developing a Disney+ series that would have focused on a young Lando Calrissian from Solo: A Star Wars Story, with Simien as the project's showrunner.
However, the plans were eventually shelved and the series was redeveloped into a feature film. Donald Glover and his brother Stephen Glover took over the project in its new iteration.
Justin Simien is Still 'Grieving' Over Cancelled Lando Series
In a recent interview, Simien shared his feelings over the cancellation of Star Wars spin-off series Lando and admitted he's still grieving, as the loss took an emotional toll on him.
"It was pretty developed. Yeah, there was a Bible, there was concept art, there were scripts, but it just wasn’t meant to be. I get over it. I’m in therapy a lot," he said.
"For me, the answer is that you have to really face it. It is true grief. I’ve never had a child, I’ve never lost a child, but it’s what I imagine that pain might be like. You pour so much of your heart and soul into something, but ultimately, you don’t have control over whether it lives or dies, and it is a true grieving process."
Simien emphasized the importance of accepting loss and, despite the pain that he is feeling, he still found solace in the experience that he gained in the development as he moved forward to other projects.
"For me, it has to be done pretty straight on like, ‘I am in grief. I do not feel good.’ I have to let myself feel those feelings," he added.
"There’s so much that I experience that I get to keep forever and take into the next project. I can’t obviously take the storyline or the IP or the characters, but there’s so much more that I got, as a maker, and that’s mine. Sorry, it’s too late, you can’t take that part back."
Fortunately, Simien has found his next big IP project to work on, as it was recently announced that he is developing a live-action Star Trek comedy series alongside Tawny Newsome.
Simien's remarks about his grieving on the project were understandable since he put his heart and soul into making the series happen and his efforts didn't pan out in the end.
He also made the right point about processing grief which should be helpful for every person who might be undergoing a similar situation. Whether it's the loss of a passion project or not, it will always be a difficult situation for anyone involved.
What do you think of Simien's remarks? Let us know in the comments!
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