KENOBI: A STAR WARS STORY

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TCTTS
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Talk of Rey's parentage in The Force Awakens spoiler thread, and the fact that she might very well be a Kenobi, got me thinking about how cool it would be to see an Obi-Wan anthology movie set in the 20-year gap between Episode III and Episode IV. In fact, here's what I posted in that thread just before Christmas...


quote:
More than any other anthology movie, I want to see an Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off set on Tatooine between Episode III and IV. They'd have 20 years of story to play with. Like Lawrence of Arabia meets a sci-fi western. Obi-Wan watches over a young Luke from afar, gets caught up in some big Tatooine dispute, while also having a "forbidden" love interest, one that ultimately, in the generation after, leads to the birth of Rey. Could be amazing.

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Imagine having to go from planet-hopping, Jedi adventurer, literally being at the heart of the biggest conflict the galaxy has ever known, to the relative solitude of Tatooine, almost overnight. It could be really cool having to watch Obi-Wan struggle to adjust to the monotony of it all. But he then gets pulled into some big dispute. Maybe he's needed to covertly help with some local/nobel cause, or feels compelled to - maybe even on the other side of the planet - but he knows he has to somehow still watch over Luke as well. All the while falling for some beautiful woman, and struggling with whether or not he'll break his Jedi oath. Ultimately, he does, and their child goes on to father/mother Rey (something we obviously wouldn't see, but would be implied, in the wake of Episode VIII). And again, shoot it like a Lawrence of Arabia type epic, with western vibes. Man, I may just start writing this thing myself...


... and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. Ewan McGregor was 33 when he shot Revenge of the Sith. Alec Guinness was 62 when he shot A New Hope. McGregor is now 45, and the perfect age to play right smack in the middle of that 20-year gap (story-wise) between movies, able to go slightly younger or even older with the necessary make-up. Also consider that Joel Edgerton (briefly) played Owen Lars in Revenge of the Sith, and went on to become a huge star. I don't know that he'd have a significant role in this theoretical movie, but my point is, there's a lot of potential, cast-wise.

Also, even if Rey doesn't turn out to be a Kenobi, that thread is just a minor part of what I'm envisioning. It's almost just as interesting if Obi-Wan has a different child / grandchild out there somewhere, who maybe one day a different story can be told about. Or, change it to where Obi-Wan falls in love, but ultimately decides to keep his Jedi oath, and it's all the more heartbreaking. Either way, in A New Hope, Obi-Wan tells Luke he "was once a Jedi Knight." As in - he no longer is one. That, coupled with the fact that he was one of only two or three Jedi left in the entire galaxy, and it's definitely within the realm of possibility that he could have essentially given in to civilian life and fallen in love and conceived a child in his exile.

Point is, kid or no kid, there's definitely a movie here, and a potentially amazing one at that. So why not take matters into my own hands and give it a shot? Yes, the chances of something like this actually being acquired by Lucasfilm are ridiculously, astronomically low. But if it's good, I have the connections to get it in the hands of those who matter at Lucasfilm, Bad Robot, or any number of tangentially connected companies or contacts. I have a manager and countless agency resources, and, not to mention, the legitimacy of an up and coming production company that is starting to gain some traction. This wouldn't be some fanboy attempt from a loner living in his mom's basement in Iowa. Also, with Rogue One hitting theaters this year, and the Han Solo anthology film hitting in 2018, the next anthology film wouldn't hit theaters until 2020, so there's more than enough time to get a script out there. Heck, this could be the fourth anthology movie, out in 2022, for all I care.

All that said, I'm currently writing two other scripts, each with a different co-writer, each with hard deadlines, attempting to producing half a dozen more projects, while also trying to launch a massive new website this summer. So my own personal time is definitely a factor. Still, this really wouldn't feel like work at all, and I could easily develop/outline it in my off time here and there for the next few months, while doing all this other stuff, and then take a stab at actually writing it sometime during the second half of the year.

So, TexAgs... what do you say? Want to help me further develop the plot to Kenobi: A Star Wars Story? I realize I once got some of you stoked to go down a similar path with a potential Batman Beyond movie, and that it never really got off the ground, but the difference here is that I feel there's a much clearer, much more compelling story just waiting to be told from the get-go. This one basically writes itself, it's just about connecting all the dots in a thematically interesting way. That said, I'm not guaranteeing this one will ever get off the ground either - or that I'll even have the time to write it - but as of now, I just can't stop thinking about this idea, and really want to try turning that idea into action...


THE STORY SO FAR...

At the end of Revenge of the Sith and the beginning of A New Hope, the reason Obi-Wan is living on Tatooine is obviously two-fold: A) he's hiding from the Empire, and B) he's watching over Luke from afar, who, in turn, has been hidden away from his father. First and foremost, my gut tells me that both of these things need to be challenged in this movie. So there needs to be someone who learns of either Obi-Wan's identity/location, or Luke's, and comes after one or both of them.

With that basic idea in mind, I thought it would be cool to set the opening scene in space (maybe the only time we're in space for the entire movie), with some kind of villain character pulling off a heist of sorts. Imagine the opening with the Joker from The Dark Knight - something in that vein - but set in space, with this villain (and potentially his small crew) raiding another ship in heist-like fashion, trying to acquire the info they need. I don't yet know why this person is after their whereabouts, but I have this idea that the villain has been tracking down the whereabouts of Obi-Wan or "the son of Skywalker" for years. Again, I haven't yet figured out all the nuts and bolts of it, but I love the notion of there being a whispered about, rumored child of Darth Vader somewhere out there in the galaxy. Something hardly anyone believes. I would liken it to how certain Nazis were after the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Maybe this villain was secretly hired by Vader, maybe he's a member of the Empire with his own agenda, or maybe he's even more of a loner bounty hunter of sorts. Regardless, for whatever reason, this person needs to find Obi-Wan / the son of Skywalker, no matter how crazy others believe him to be. And this heist we're witnessing is the result of years of hunting, detective work, cold trails and hot ones. His target - this last person - it's their knowledge, or data file, or whatever it is, once acquired, that finally leads our villain (and us) to...

Tatooine.

And it's here where we meet a lonely, weary and bored Obi-Wan, say, five years (if not more) after we last saw him. Someone who is growing more and more restless; someone who, despite all his meditating and communing with the Force, is just plain longing for another adventure. You know that sequence in Forrest Gump, just after his mom dies, where it's those vignettes of him just sitting around the house in silence? Or the opening to There Will Be Blood, where there's not a single line of dialogue while we watch Daniel Plainview drilling for oil alone in the desert? Imagine the loneliness, desolation, and quiet of those two scenes, and that's what we're witnessing Obi-Wan go through.

From this point on, however, is where I only have the very broad strokes of a story. Right now, all I know is that...

A). There should potentially be some kind of local/tribal dispute on Tatooine that finally calls Obi-Wan into action. He knows he should continue hiding, he knows he has to continue keeping a watchful eye on Luke, but whatever this conflict is, he also knows that ignoring it would be even worse than being found. It's the right thing to do. This would be where the Lawrence of Arabia vibe comes into play, where he essentially finds himself in the Peter O'Toole role, where he becomes the key to settling some kind of epic tribal dispute (one that could maybe even potentially have far-reaching implications beyond that of just Tatooine?).

B). The villain we meet in the opening arrives on Tatooine, but with only a vague idea of where Obi-Wan / the son of Skywalker might be, and he too somehow gets caught up in this tribal conflict. Maybe he needs one side's resources or info, or maybe they need him and it's a mutually beneficial arrangement. Either way, this conflict Obi-Wan finds himself in turns out to be much, much more than he ever bargained for. Not only does he risk being exposed by partaking, but the one person he can't be exposed to has potentially aligned himself with the other side.

C) There's obviously a woman caught up in this whole mess, who Obi-Wan falls for. If you liken this to a western, she could be the rough and tumble widow who's managing a small homestead ranch, when the hero stranger comes knocking on her door for help. That kind of vibe. Or maybe she's a daughter in the rival tribe. I just know that she needs to awaken something in Obi-Wan he's never felt before. That, and she probably, eventually dies by the end, but not before giving birth...

As of now, that's about all I've got, in terms of the overall narrative. We would obviously get a glimpse or two of a very young Luke, from afar, likely in the first act (and maybe again at the end, a little older). We'd definitely see Obi-Wan use Anakin's lightsaber, the same one he eventually gives to Luke. He would go by "Ben." We'd for sure have to visit the cantina, if only briefly. We'd learn how Owen comes to dislike Obi-Wan so much (though, we would never visit the Lars farm and we'd never truly meet a young Luke.). And finally, this movie could span a year, or it could span multiple years - whatever the story calls for.

Other than those tidbits, I just know I want it to end with this feeling that Obi-Wan did, in fact, have this one, last, secretive-but-epic adventure before truly becoming the Obi-Wan we know in A New Hope. That "protecting" Luke was much, much harder and more dangerous than Obi-Wan lets on when he first meets him, R2, and C-3PO on that fateful day. That Vader / the Empire came this close to discovering that A) Vader did, in fact, have a son, and that B) he almost learned of his whereabouts. We'll never see Vader, and we'll never see the Empire, but I love this idea that the villain is potentially working for them in some way, and can't relay his message for some reason. Maybe that's even a plot point; the villain loses his ship/crew in the heist, has to escape in a hurry, can't relay what he's learned, crash-lands on Tatooine, and is ultimately trying to get to some kind of communication device out in the middle of no where on Tatooine. There's a ticking clock in that sense.

As for additional questions...

What other parts of Tatooine could we visit? What kind of characters or indigenous races could we meet (or "re-meet")? What is this tribal dispute being fought over? Is the Empire tangentially involved? Who, exactly, is this villain? And what is his personal reason for wanting to find Obi-Wan / the son of Skywalker? Who, exactly, is the love interest? What role does Owen Lars play in all this? Are there any holes that can be poked in anything I've outlined so far? How can any of this be different? How can it all be better?

Ultimately, I'd like to stay away from any Clone Wars characters or characters from the EU making an appearance. For instance, Obi-Wan's love interest doesn't need to be some minor character we've met before. Save for Obi-Wan, Owen, Luke (from afar), and maybe someone like Jabba the Hut, every other character in this should be completely new. This should feel like its own story in that regard; something epic and grand, but more or less self-contained. That said, I've never actually seen The Clone Wars, or read any of the books, so any Obi-Wan info in that regard that might help inform this story would be great to know.

Overall, think westerns. Think Lawrence of Arabia. Think Dances With Wolves. How can the themes, plot-points, and tropes from those movies and those types of movies be repurposed and woven into a Star Wars-ian / Tatooine-set narrative, with Obi-Wan at the center? Let's spitball, let's brainstorm, let's break it down, piece by piece. And then, if there's a story here truly worth telling, I'll try my best to go off and write it...

SoulSlaveAG2005
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Sounds awesome!

ETA... The conflict could be over moisture farming territory/ products. On a planet like that, where it is the main source of survival I bet their could be some good feuds/disputes between farmers and families. Add to that mix the dredges of Mos Isley. It's a simple and logical conflict point, but could also be seen as not creative/boring.
Sex Panther
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quote:
So, TexAgs... what do you say? Want to help me further develop the plot to Kenobi: A Star Wars Story?



TexAgs, standing by...



TCTTS
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TCTTS
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quote:
Sounds awesome!

ETA... The conflict could be over moisture farming territory/ products. On a planet like that, where it is the main source of survival I bet their could be some good feuds/disputes between farmers and families. Add to that mix the dredges of Mos Isley. It's a simple and logical conflict point, but could also be seen as not creative/boring.

No, I really like the water idea. It's not only something that's becoming more and more pertinent in our own world, but it's an organic way to involve Owen in some way as well. My only concern is that it could lean a little too much into Mad Max: Fury Road territory, but I'm sure there's a way to do it differently. At the very least, it could at least be an aspect of the overall conflict.
jabberwalkie09
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Jabba or just the Hutts in general. TPM mentioned them as being notorious gangsters right? Well, I think it's time we make that a reality.
TCTTS
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For sure. I don't think they'd be main players, but I would love to see them pulling strings on the fringes in some way.
Brian Earl Spilner
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This sounds fantasic. I will come back with some ideas tomorrow.
Sex Panther
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quote:
No, I really like the water idea. It's not only something that's becoming more and more pertinent in our own world

Really good point...


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Jabba or just the Hutts in general. TPM mentioned them as being notorious gangsters right? Well, I think it's time we make that a reality.

This would be awesome... Obviously the fans love throwbacks to the original trilogy, so a Jabba appearance could be a huge sell. And I'm with you in the gangster department. It would be cool to see a more sinister Jabba as well.
TCTTS
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This sounds fantasic. I will come back with some ideas tomorrow.

Nice!
Brian Earl Spilner
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One thing that came to mind - We know Owen does not like Obi-Wan. I think there's a story to tell there. Maybe he somehow manages to involve Owen in whatever dispute is taking place and he either A) Ends up putting him through a crazy ordeal, possibly life threatening, or B) They end up getting into a heated argument themselves and don't speak again for 10 years or whatever it is.

There's definitely a movie here though.
jabberwalkie09
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There was an EU story IIRC where Owen basically told Kenobi to go away and never return.
TCTTS
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We've only seen Jabba...

A) Introducing the podraces in Episode I

B) Talking to Han in Episode IV

C) At his palace in Episode VI

Is this correct? If so, yeah, absolutely. He could definitely play into this dispute in an influential, Godfather-esque way.
TCTTS
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Yeah, I briefly mentioned as much in my rundown. I really, really want to see Owen and Obi-Wan have some kind of falling out. I love that idea.
Brian Earl Spilner
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I also have an image in my head of Obi Wan standing in front of a massive crowd and having to use an awesome display of the force to do something, leaving everyone either in awe or terrified of him, making him a bit of a mythic person to a certain tribe/culture.
SoulSlaveAG2005
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Perhaps in order to save luke/Owen from either the conflict or the imperial hunter,Ob1 has to seemingly betray Owen, thus creating the rift.
TCTTS
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My only concern with that - and what I think is the heart of his inner conflict here - is that he has to help while also trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. The last thing he'd want to do is present himself in front of a massive crowd. That said, maybe he has no choice, does whatever he does, and that tribe or crowd or whatever ends up getting decimated, thus ultimately remaining somewhat inconspicuous.

Overall, though, I think he needs to work in the shadows as much as he can. He's always one man removed from a group or someone of influence, but eventually he has to show himself and involve himself more and more...
TCTTS
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That's a pretty cool idea.

I also think Owen's dislike of Obi-Wan comes down to the fact that Obi-Wan represents a dangerous, former world he wants Luke to have no part of.

Own could also simply just be pissed at Obi-Wan for even allowing this villain to get so close. The promise could have been that Luke would be safe here, but now there's this threat that is closing in on them...
Ag Since 83
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I'd stay away from using the son of Skywalker. All indications from current canon are that nobody has the slightest idea Luke exists except for the obvious people present at the end of Revenge of the Sith. Vader basically lost it in the comics when he found out the last name of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star
Brian Earl Spilner
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Maul coming back for revenge?
TCTTS
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But yeah, it's idea like that I want to aim for. Where, when you watch A New Hope again, in the first act, those glances and exchanges and rifts now have more meaning and subtext.
TCTTS
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quote:
I'd stay away from using the son of Skywalker. All indications from current canon are that nobody has the slightest idea Luke exists except for the obvious people present at the end of Return of the Sith. Vader basically lost it in the comics when he found out the last name of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star
On one hand I agree. But on the other, that's the idea I like playing with - that, presumably, no one knew. But somehow, someway, that info got out, and has been whispered about among a very select few. Vader doesn't even have to know. If so, this villain could have an ulterior motive for hunting him down, obviously, which might be better. All I know is that the Luke thread has to be challenged and exploited, narratively. Or, rather, that Obi-Wan protecting Luke needs to be challenged in some way.

At the very least, maybe the villain is simply after Obi-Wan for revenge or something, and once on Tatooine, while tracking him down, inadvertently learns that he's keeping an eye on a kid with the last name "Skywalker" and starts to dig deeper...
Ag Since 83
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I think that could work, but don't have Vader hire him to find a rumored child. Vader hiring him to find Obi-Wan might make sense, because as far as I know Vader has no reason to think Obi-Wan died in RotS
TCTTS
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quote:
Maul coming back for revenge?
Personally, I'd rather be done with Maul. I'd like to do something a little more fresh and new. Create a new iconic villain of sorts.
Kampfers
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I would love a movie set in that period involving obi wan.

But I'm much less of a fan of the whole "Rey has to be Obi Wan's kid" school of thought. I think it delegitimizes the story when it essentially becomes a big family affair. I'd rather him be involved in getting her to tattooine for safeguarding as opposed to breaking his vows and fathering a child himself.
VikingNik
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How about:
Jabba the gangster has decided to abscond with too much water stressing the planet. He and his goons cross paths with obi wan while attempting to strong arm a greater supply to sell to the empire. That brings some empire operatives into the picture and old Ben has to do his best to save the planet and not get found out.
TCTTS
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quote:
I think that could work, but don't have Vader hire him to find a rumored child. Vader hiring him to find Obi-Wan might make sense, because as far as I know Vader has no reason to think Obi-Wan died in RotS
Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I like that tweak. If so, why, exactly, is this villain after Obi-Wan? And it has to be more than just "revenge"? Vader hiring someone to hunt Obi-Wan down could definitely work, but I'd love it to be a little more personal than that.

Regardless, I'm starting to warm up to the idea of this villain stumbling upon Luke's identity in some way. But before he can alert Vader / the Empire, he's ultimately killed. It's almost like, while on Tatooine, the villain starts to play detective of sorts, and figures out that's the reason Kenobi is on Tatooine to begin with. And it's this major revelation to him. Could be pretty cool.
TCTTS
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quote:
I would love a movie set in that period involving obi wan.

But I'm much less of a fan of the whole "Rey has to be Obi Wan's kid" school of thought. I think it delegitimizes the story when it essentially becomes a big family affair. I'd rather him be involved in getting her to tattooine for safeguarding as opposed to breaking his vows and fathering a child himself.

I wouldn't even focus on that idea here. It would be such a throw-away thing, if included at all. Mainly, I just want Obi-Wan to fall in love and struggle with the whole oath thing. Whether Rey eventually comes of that or not is something that could potentially be retconned later.
TCTTS
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quote:
How about:
Jabba the gangster has decided to abscond with too much water stressing the planet. He and his goons cross paths with obi wan while attempting to strong arm a greater supply to sell to the empire. That brings some empire operatives into the picture and old Ben has to do his best to save the planet and not get found out.

What do you mean by "abscond with too much water stressing the planet?" Either way, I like that general set-up. Empire operatives is a great way to go. That's the vibe I mentioned of not actually showing the Empire, but definitely feeling their presence in some small way.
Ag Since 83
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quote:
quote:
I think that could work, but don't have Vader hire him to find a rumored child. Vader hiring him to find Obi-Wan might make sense, because as far as I know Vader has no reason to think Obi-Wan died in RotS
Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I like that tweak. If so, why, exactly, is this villain after Obi-Wan? And it has to be more than just "revenge"? Vader hiring someone to hunt Obi-Wan down could definitely work, but I'd love it to be a little more personal than that.

Regardless, I'm starting to warm up to the idea of this villain stumbling upon Luke's identity in some way. But before he can alert Vader / the Empire, he's ultimately killed. It's almost like, while on Tatooine, the villain starts to play detective of sorts, and figures out that's the reason Kenobi is on Tatooine to begin with. And it's this major revelation to him. Could be pretty cool.
I like this concept
Brian Earl Spilner
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How about this -

A small band of Imperial spies are searching the galaxy for the last remaining Jedi, Yoda and Obi-Wan.

One of those spies goes off to Tatooine alone and comes across this shadowy figure (a la Aragorn in FOTR) in a Mos Eisley cantina. She has her suspicions but isn't sure she has her man, and if so she wants to get the location of Yoda from him as well, so she slowly tries to get closer to him over the course of a few weeks. She introduces herself as a damsel in distress that has the Empire after her and she passes herself off as a rebel.

Obi Wan decides to help her and hide her in his home. She sets it up so that the rest of her imperial spy group will come to Obi Wans and ask to search the place, while she hides. This will sell her story as a rebel in need of help.

Eventually she seduces Obi Wan and they sleep together. Obi Wan starts falling in love with her. She eventually brings up the Jedi and tells him she knows who he is, and asks about his life. She pretends to know about him from Bail Organa or something.

Obi Wan finally realizes who she is but keeps the masquerade going, mainly because he has real feelings for her. Eventually she and her friends reveal themselves and there's a big fight scene where they try to subdue and capture him, and Obi Wan kills them all except her.

Once it's only her and him, she breaks down and confesses she loves him and wants to leave her previous life behind.

He knows they'd find them and kill them, so he abandons her one night and tells her she has to go back to the Empire.

It ends with her rejoining the Empire and the reveal that she is pregnant.

I should say that this shouldn't be the whole story, just a part of it. Find a way to bring in the big dispute that he has to settle, Owen Lars, etc.

(And the baby will obviously be one of Rey's parents )
TCTTS
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Btw, what's the basic conceit of the Rebels cartoon? I saw the pilot, but nothing else. Have only seen headlines here and there since. Is there a Sith inquisitor or something hunting down that Kanan Jedi guy? And if so, did Vader send the inquisitor. Just trying to establish if there's a precedent for this general idea of Vader enlisting someone to hunt down any remaining Jedi. On one hand, I don't want to be that derivative, but on another hand, it feels organic, and definitely makes sense.
Ag Since 83
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Yeah the inquisitors go around looking for Jedi.
TCTTS
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Hmmm. Something along those lines could potentially work. My main concern is that he'd likely be able to sense via the Force that she's part of the Empire or whatever, right? Or no? Either way, I just can't see him getting duped like that. Though... it is a cool way to organically involve a love interest, one that is tied directly to the plot, and not just something on the side.
TCTTS
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Is Vader in charge of them?
 
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