- Primary Subject: Simon Farnaby's Scrapped Star Wars Movie
- Key Update: Simon Farnaby revealed his pitch about an original robot lacked core franchise elements, leading Disney to rework it into a standalone sci-fi film.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: August 10, 2026
- Quick Answer: Simon Farnaby and Paul King's Star Wars movie was scrapped because its original robot story lacked franchise elements, but it is becoming a sci-fi film.
Wonka writer Simon Farnaby revealed the real reason why his planned Star Wars movie was ultimately abandoned.
Set to be directed by Paul King, he and Farnaby were offered the opportunity by Disney and Lucasfilm to work on a film set in a galaxy far, far away following the success of their movie together, Paddington 2. So, why was the project scrapped?
Why Didn't Simon Farnaby’s Star Wars Droid Story Work Out?
Simon Farnaby and Paul King were supposed to make a Star Wars movie centered around a robot but didn’t include any major characters from the franchise.
He admitted that they “got distracted” by the project “for a while,” but he believed its premise might have played a part in why the movie didn’t work out or move forward.
“They were like, we really need it to be a Star Wars movie, which is probably why it didn’t get turned into a Star Wars movie!” he told Variety.
Farnaby admitted that they failed to nail the film, but the concept is now being reworked into something else.
Disney didn’t shelve the “unspecified robot” idea and instead planned to develop it into another film.
“They basically said, it’s not right for Star Wars, but do you want to rework it as a sci-fi film?” he revealed. “So we’re working on that now.”
What’s Next in the Star Wars Universe?
The Mandalorian and Grogu is the only Star Wars film set to be released in 2026, and the next movie in the slate is the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy.
Led by Ryan Gosling, the film will see him play a brand-new character in a space adventure set five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
While details about the movie are being kept under wraps, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed that he had already watched it and loved what he saw when introducing Levy and Gosling in the studio’s upcoming Ghost Rider movie at the recent San Diego Comic-Con.
“I have been lucky enough to see Star Wars: Starfighter and, as a Star Wars nerd (I’m a bigger Star Wars nerd than Marvel nerd. Is that true? No, it’s not), it’s awesome… It gives me all the Star Wars feels and brings a fresh new thing to it. And I can’t wait for you to see it,” he said (via The Direct).
Feige also praised Gosling’s performance in the film, complimenting his character and calling the movie “another banger” from the franchise.
Starfighter wrapped filming in December and is now in post-production. In addition to Gosling, the film stars Flynn Gray, along with Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Amy Adams, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, and Daniel Ings.
Star Wars: Starfighter is set to be released in theaters on May 28, 2027.
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