The team responsible for Paddington 2 had the potential to create a movie centered around a Star Wars droid.

      TL;DR: Paul King and Simon Farnaby pitched a droid-focused Star Wars film to Lucasfilm following the success of Paddington 2, which did not include any major characters from the franchise. Lucasfilm ultimately declined the proposal. Farnaby mentioned in a Variety interview that the project became a time-consuming distraction and did not materialize. He explained, “They were like, ‘We really need it to be a Star Wars movie,’ which is probably why it didn’t turn into one.” However, the concept may still be developed into something outside the Star Wars realm. Instead of this project, King and Farnaby created the successful film Wonka and are currently working on a Labubu movie.

      Their droid pitch is part of a long line of Star Wars films that were planned or rumored but never produced, including Rian Johnson's trilogy and projects from Guillermo del Toro and the Game of Thrones creators. After purchasing Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in 2012 with the intention of releasing a Star Wars film every one to three years, Disney has seen fewer films released than anticipated and more cancelled projects. This year, The Mandalorian and Grogu failed to perform well at the box office, earning $342 million against a $165 million budget. The next upcoming project from Lucasfilm is Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and set for release in May 2027, while other projects from Simon Kinberg, James Mangold, and Taika Waititi remain uncertain. A Star Wars film from Paul King, known for creating one of the highest-rated sequels in recent years, would have been a notable addition to this list, but Lucasfilm declined the opportunity.