5 ideas for stand-alone Star Wars films

“This is no cave…”–Han Solo

The Star Wars Universe sports an almost limitless number of strange, alien creatures: adorable Porgs, cuddly Ewoks, mysterious Jawa. But as bizarre as these races are, there are other species that are closer to living monsters: the savage Wampa, ferocious Rancor, even Hssiss, the infamous “dark side dragons.”

With a bevy of blood-thirsty beasts to choose from, isn’t it time for Star Wars to fully embraced its bestial side and make a truly intergalactic monster flick?

Imagine a group of Jedi hunted for sport by the Nightsisters of Dathomir, astride tamed Rancor?

Or a team of stranded rebels left to fend for themselves against a predatory family of Wampas who haunt the frozen expanse of Hoth?

The Brain Worms, a parasitic grub that psychically controls its host (officially canon thanks to The Clone Wars animated series), would make for terrific horror movie adversaries, ala John Carpenter’s The Thing.

Even the Zilla Beast, an obvious Godzilla stand-in, would make for an interesting Kaiju-type monster to unleash in a big budget Star Wars film.

By themselves, none of these ideas are particularly fresh, but it’s the way in which these classic tropes would interact with the beloved Star Wars setting that makes them interesting. A focus on fear would allow Star Wars to show off its rogue’s gallery of terrifying monsters, and spotlight a darker side to a universe that has traditionally kept its teeming danger at a PG level.

If Star Wars failed to court an R-rating with the unapologetic war film Rogue One, a bit of space horror might be another avenue.