The Star Wars franchise is a long-running series with a great number of films, TV shows, and video games. The Star Wars fandom has reached new heights thanks to Disney and the creation of Galaxy’s Edge at their theme park. As such, there has also been a surge in new content since the not-so-spectacular release of the Sequel Trilogy, including plans of a new movie trilogy set after The Rise of Skywalker. From the hugely popular The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch to the recently concluded The Book of Boba Fett, Disney just seems to be cranking out one hit Star Wars TV series after another.
With this level of content creation, fans are naturally getting hungry for more. Of course, the franchise does have a slate of Disney+ projects in the works, including the Obi-Wan Kenobi series (expected this May) and the Ahsoka series. Amidst Star Wars’s ever-expanding catalog, there has been a great deal of speculation regarding the possibility of a Star Wars horror film, particularly with horror visionary Mike Flanagan. While this idea may sound laughable at first, it is, in reality, not a bad one. While Star Wars seems perpetually stuck in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, it’s entirely possible for an SFF/horror intersection. The question, however, remains: would a Star Wars horror movie work?
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Where Sci-fi & Horror Intersect
Lucasfilm, Disney
In film, there is generally a great deal of overlap between genres, often resulting in the creation of their own sub-genres, like romantic comedies. Sci-fi and horror are two genres that often unintentionally wind up together. A perfect example of sci-fi/horror would be the Alien franchise: it takes the concept of hostile aliens to a next level when it is revealed that the Xenomorphs use humans as a biological incubator in order for the Xenomorph to live, infamously bursting through the chests of their hosts.
Sci-fi and horror can go hand-in-hand as the many sci-fi staples, like alien life forms and the exploration of uncharted planets, often involve diving into the unknown — the scariest thing of all. Star Wars is not known for its appeal to the horrifying and has, especially since the buyout of Lucasfilms from Disney, been more and more catered towards children. That said, with the amount of cut-throat violence seen in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, not to mention the menacing presence that Darth Vader has posed throughout the franchise, there is hope that Star Wars may want to head in the direction of horror.
Star Wars Has Already Dabbled In Horror
While no Star Wars film or series has ever been dedicated solely to the creepy and terrifying aspects within its universe, there are certainly plenty of storylines that Star Wars followed that could qualify as potential horror. From the necromancing of dead Nightsisters as seen in the video game Fallen Order to the horrifying creation of Darth Vader in Revenge of the Sith wherein we see Anakin get maimed by Obi-Wan and burned by fire to the point that he is physically no longer recognizable as Anakin and is consequently dependent on his suit to keep him alive. These are just a few examples of the darker side of Star Wars that are rarely spoken about. Since Disney took over Lucasfilms, much of what was once canon has been redacted and is now referred to as “legends." For example; it used to be canon that Ben Solo AKA Kylo Ren had a sister, but now it is simply a legend. That said, there is still a great deal of content to draw from that could be categorized as horror.
Will There Ever Be a Star Wars Horror Movie?
As of right now, there is no talk of a Star Wars horror movie ever coming into play. However, that doesn’t mean that fans aren’t calling for one. Mike Flanagan, creator of Doctor Sleep and Midnight Mass recently tweeted “I’d really love to make a horror movie in the STAR WARS universe…”. This sparked the interest of fans and filmmakers alike, leaving us all wondering what a Star Wars horror movie would look like. With a cinematic universe as large as Star Wars, the possibilities of storylines are endless, but carrying out a strong horror movie would be a great feat indeed and who better to conquer the deed than the man whose idea it was, Mike Flanagan — a creative filmmaker who made a name for himself in the horror genre through works like Oculus and Gerald’s Game, all of which he directed, wrote, and edited. With Flanagan at the helm and the assistance of the geniuses behind Star Wars, a Star Wars horror film would surely be a success.
