Star Wars' Boba Fett Movie Finds Director in James Mangold: Report

Disney and Lucasfilm have reportedly found a director for a standalone Star Wars movie centred on bounty hunter Boba Fett: it's James Mangold, best known for Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, and Walk the Line.

In the week of Solo: A Star Wars Story's release, sources close to The Hollywood Reporter claim that Mangold will co-write the script with Simon Kinberg, the veteran producer behind multiple X-Men films in addition to Logan, the Deadpool franchise, and The Martian. Kinberg will also produce the Boba Fett anthology film, says THR.

In the role of co-writer and director, Mangold had a huge part in Logan's success as an adults-only superhero film and a swansong for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. The film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars, and was placed in numerous end-of-year lists, including ours.

Neither Disney nor Lucasfilm have officially commented on the matter, though rumblings of a Boba Fett film have been around for some time. It's one of several standalone Star Wars spin-off projects rumoured to be in development at Lucasfilm, alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi (which reportedly was in talks with Stephen Daldry to direct last year), Yoda, Jabba the Hutt, and Ahsoka Tano.

Boba Fett was first seen in 1980's Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, as one of the bounty hunters employed by Darth Vader who tracks the Millennium Falcon to Cloud City on the gas planet Bespin. The character returned in 1983's Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, and was seen at Jabba the Hutt's palace, before dying in an '80s slapstick fashion.

Though he had a limited role in both movies, Boba Fett has developed a cult following thanks to his battle suit and no-nonsense attitude. He got a small origin story in George Lucas' prequel trilogy, confirmed to be a clone in Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and has been featured in numerous books, animated series, video games, and merchandise.