Guillermo del Toro is predominantly known for his horror and fantasy movies, but he’s no stranger to mainstream blockbusters either, having helmed Blade II, the first two Hellboy movies, and Pacific Rim. At one point, though, he and David S. Goyer had an idea for a Star Wars film that would have chronicled one of the franchise’s most popular villains — Jabba the Hutt.
While speaking to the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Goyer, whose writing credits include Blade, Dark City, and Batman Begins, revealed that he penned a script for a Star Wars movie that he wanted the Pan’s Labyrinth filmmaker to direct. Del Toro confirmed Goyer’s report in a post on his X account afterwards, confirming that their film would have been about the aforementioned crime lord.
This is an intriguing prospect. Del Toro and Goyer’s working relationship has a history of success, as they collaborated on Blade II, which is by far the best outing in the entire series. Last year, they re-teamed for Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix, with Goyer penning David Prior’s “The Autopsy” episode. Until now, their collaborations have focused on macabre storytelling, but it would have been interesting to see how they approached the Star Wars universe.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that del Toro has discussed wanting to make a film about Tattooine’s gluttonous crime lord. He previously detailed his idea for a crime epic about the slug-like creature’s rise to power, noting that it was inspired by one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time.
“I would do the sort of Godfather saga that Jabba the Hutt had to go through to gain control,” del Toro told Yahoo Movies in 2015. “One, because it’s the character that looks the most like me, and I like him. I love the idea of a Hutt type of mafia, a very complex coup. I just love the character.”
Jabba the Hutt might not be the first character “Star Wars” fans think of when it comes to those who deserve their own spin-off. That being said, the concept has a lot of potential as the Hutts are some of the most powerful gangsters in the galaxy far, far away. Despite their notoriety, though, the family’s backstory has been largely untold on the screen. The Jabba the Hutt: The Art of the Deal comic series explores the titular slug’s criminal escapades in more detail than the films and TV shows, but those stories are scattered snapshots of his life. As it stands, his history is still a mystery, for the most part.
Ultimately, Goyer and del Toro’s Jabba the Hutt project fell through as a result of Lucasfilm and Disney’s pivot to streaming. Furthermore, it was in the works not long after Solo: A Star Wars Story underperformed at the box office, and Disney probably didn’t want to risk another expensive flop — especially not a crime saga about this particular character.
A shame, really. Guillermo del Toro is a filmmaker who’s capable of delivering artistic, thought-provoking works with commercial sensibilities, making him a darling among both film buffs and studio executives. Furthermore, his affinity for monsters makes him the perfect filmmaker to give Jabba his own standalone movie. Hopefully, Disney dusts off this script and resurrects the idea at some point. Del Toro’s stock has only risen since then, as evidenced by Oscar-winning features such as The Shape of Water and Pinocchio.
