The first appearance of Jabba the Hutt in Star Wars was not, as is commonly believed, in Return of the Jedi, but in the Marvel comics based on the first movie released in 1977, where, instead of being a giant slug, he was depicted very differently. Jabba the Hutt was a human with a walrus face and a yellow uniform. In fact, his creator, Howard Chaykin, was inspired by a character that appeared in the background of the Mos Eisley cantina, now known as Mosep Binneed. Years later, everyone would forget about this version of Jabba (and rightly so).
I will make you a galactic offer that you cannot refuse
Although the 1977 novelization only described him as “a huge mass of muscle and fat crowned by a hairy, scarred skull,” he quickly became popular among fans, regardless of the fact that he only appeared for a few minutes throughout the saga (not counting the special editions, of course). So much so that when LucasFilm asked Guillermo del Toro if he had any ideas to revitalize the saga, he did not hesitate to respond that yes, definitely: a spin-off just for Jabba the Hutt.
The movie would be titled The Rise And Fall of Jabba The Hutt and would be a sort of version of The Godfather in the galaxy. However, as the creator himself acknowledges, Disney wasn’t exactly excited: “I was super happy. We were doing a lot of things, but it’s not my property, it’s not my money, and it’s one of those 30 scripts that just disappear“. If someone at Disney knew what they were doing, they would call him back immediately. Guillermo del Toro bringing his personal version of a galaxy far, far away? What fool would say no?
Yes, this is not the only ambitious Star Wars project that has fallen through over the years. In fact, we have had more canceled projects than completed ones, including the Boba Fett movie, Rian Johnson’s trilogy, the sequel to the new trilogy with Ben Solo as the protagonist, or the film that was to be directed by Kevin Feige. However, there is something that inevitably frustrates us when we see that one of the best directors of recent times has had the misfortune of falling into the hell of producing a mega-franchise like this.
The movie would have entered development back in 2017, and Del Toro himself shared what we could have seen: “Jabba the Hutt has to gain control. He is the character that resembles me the most, and I like him. I love the idea of a kind of Hutt mafia, a very complex heist. I just love the character”. The idea was pitched in 2015, and apparently it went further, even though at the time, as he acknowledged, it was just a geeky thought in his head. Probably, the failure of the Han Solo spin-off made them afraid to launch individual movies of their protagonists and, therefore, it stopped being in development even though, apparently, they already had drawings, art, and a nearly finished script. Honestly, Lucasfilm, it’s still not too late!
For now, it seems that Dave Filoni has eagerly taken the helm of Star Wars, and he is preparing not only for the arrival of The Mandalorian and Grogu but also a new movie for 2027, Starfighter. Whether it will be the renewal of the most beloved franchise title or another nail in its coffin remains to be seen. May the Force be with you.