Lando is coming – here is what we know so far about it.
Regarding Star Wars, the franchise has steadily been growing for decades, adding more and more to our upcoming Star Wars shows and movies list. Several TV shows have been released within the universe, like Ahsoka or The Mandalorian. And for a time, the next show was going to be Lando – but that project is now being planned as a movie, according to Variety.
Based on the character of the same name from the franchise, the movie will follow the story of Lando Calrissian, who has been in the universe for many years. However, who is going to star in this movie? This is what we know so far.
What Is The Lando Release Date?
At the time of updating this in November 2024, Lando has no release date yet, which isn't that surprising.
The original series was announced in December 2020 during Disney Investor Day, alongside several other Star Wars-related projects – most of which have either been released or are set to premiere at some point. Among these were Andor, which already had its first season, and The Acolyte which has come and gone. Lando remained a mystery for some time, and only recently in September 2023 was it confirmed that the show was turned into a film.
We still don't know when Lando will come out. Lando will not be on any 2024 movie schedule – and quite frankly, I think it would be wishful thinking to assume it might be released anytime soon. We’d be lucky if we got the movie by 2025 as part of the 2025 movie schedule at this rate.
The Lando Movie Cast
It was announced in late July 2023 by io9 that Donald Glover was officially confirmed to be returning to the character, but that was when the project was expected to be a series.
It hasn’t been officially confirmed for the film like it was for the show, but since Donald Glover and his younger brother, Stephen, were reported Above the Line in July 2023 to be writing the series, we can assume that Donald Glover will most likely have the same starring role in the movie as he would in the show.
The Variety article regarding the show turning into a movie also confirmed that the Glovers are still working on the movie, as Stephen Glover himself said that it was turning into a film.
There were initial reports that the series would focus on a younger version of the character, but we haven’t heard any updates about that since we learned it was going to be a movie.
Glover himself has been extremely busy the last few years. He wrapped up his time working on his FX dramedy, Atlanta, and has appeared in many films such as Guava Island, The Lion King, and had a cameo in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. He starred in the Amazon Prime Video series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and co-created the Emmy-nominated series Swarm. So he's been on a roll.
Glover even talked about reprising Lando in a video interview with GQ in April 2023, where he broke down his most iconic roles, saying that he would love to return to Lando but that it had to be the "right way" for him to come back:
I would love to play Lando again. It's a fun time, being him. It just has to be the right way to do it. Time is precious. The past couple of years, this pandemic shit, it really had people experience time… People realize their time is valuable. You only get so much. I'm not interested in doing anything that's going to be a waste of my time or just a paycheck. I'd much rather spend time with people that I enjoy. It just has to be the right thing, and I think it could be. Lando is definitely somebody I like to hang out with.
While Lando turning into a movie was an unexpected development, hopefully it won’t be long before we hear more updates about Glover as the iconic Star Wars character.
It's Unclear If Billy Dee Williams Will Be Back
While we know Glover will return, we're still waiting to learn if Billy Dee Williams will reprise his role.
It was rumored back in late July 2023 that Williams could have been teasing a return to the role with a post he put on X (formerly Twitter), saying that something "truly magnificent" is coming soon. But the actor announced on August 1st that it was just a tease for his upcoming biography that he's releasing in February 2024.
We don't know if Williams will return, but it's not like he hasn't done so in recent years. He came back for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was released in 2019, so it wouldn't be that surprising if he were to come back for a movie centered on his character. Unless we see footage, we just have to be patient and hope some news comes regarding his potential return.
What Is The Lando Movie About?
At the time of updating this in November 2024, we don’t have a set idea of what Lando will be about, but Glover has recently spoken that he just wants the film to be “fun.”
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September 2024, Glover said that he really wants to make this film more fun than the others, as Star Wars has gotten way too “serious” in the last few years:
I just want it to be fun…as a ‘Star Wars’ fan myself, I think it’s important that there needs to be fun being had… it’s very hard to have fun right now. It’s tough because there are very serious things happening and those are the only things that connect us, weirdly. So I get why things are serious, but part of the human experience, I believe, is we have a responsibility to have enjoyment. And I just feel like we’re lacking in that department.
Other than that, we don’t know what the film will be about, but if Glover wants fun, I can assure you that he will find a way to have that happen.
Check Out Lando In The Star Wars Films
While there's little known about Lando, we can always revisit the films in which the famous character popped up, whether it's Williams or Glover. Check them out down below:
Stream Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Amazon.
Stream Star Wars: Return of the Jedi on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Star Wars: Return of the Jedi on Amazon.
Stream Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on Amazon.
Stream Solo: A Star Wars Story on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Solo: A Star Wars Story on Amazon.
What are you the most excited about when it comes to Lando? All I know is that I’m eager to see where this story takes us next, to what point of the galaxy.
