Jacob Ant
During a recent Q&A session hosted by Collider, acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro verified rumors that he once spearheaded a now-abandoned Star Wars film spotlighting the infamous Tatooine crime lord, Jabba the Hutt.
David S. Goyer, the project’s screenwriter, initially hinted at the collaboration on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, revealing some challenges behind the scenes at Lucasfilm during development.
Del Toro, engaging with the revelation, had cryptically tweeted “True. Can’t say much. Maybe two letters ‘J’ and ‘BB’ is that three letters?” acknowledging the project’s existence without diving into details.
True. Can't say much. Maybe two letters "J" and "BB" is that three letters? https://t.co/qpGaSD3y7F
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) September 21, 2023
The director further unveiled at the Collider event that the screenplay intricately depicted Jabba’s ascendancy and downfall within the Star Wars universe, expressing his contentment with the work they accomplished.
Despite their efforts, Lucasfilm chose not to greenlight the film. Reflecting on the project’s termination, Del Toro exhibited no resentment, instead adopting a philosophical outlook. He remarked, “Life’s offerings, regardless of their nature, are learning opportunities.
Trusting the universe’s design, I ponder the reasons when things don’t materialize as planned, acknowledging that resisting life’s flow hinders understanding of the ultimate destination.”
The timeline of Del Toro and Goyer’s involvement in the project remains vague, but the cancellation evidently did not impede Del Toro’s illustrious career. With a trove of accolades including three Oscars—two for The Shape of Water (Best Picture and Best Director) and one for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Best Animated Feature)—his cinematic journey continues unabated.
Goyer, too, boasts an impressive resume, contributing to blockbuster films like The Dark Knight series, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Terminator: Dark Fate.
As for Jabba the Hutt, the character made his debut in 1983’s Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, and subsequently appeared in various Star Wars films and TV series, including the 20th-anniversary rerelease of Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
He also played a crucial role in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and its subsequent TV series.
