Liam Neeson thinks there’s a disturbance in the Force thanks in part to the rapid expansion of the Star Wars Universe. On Watch What Happens Live on Thursday, Neeson said he wants to avoid starring in his own spin-off series because the glut of Star Wars projects is diminishing the franchise.
“No, I’m not,” Neeson said about returning to the Star Wars Universe for a spin-off on Disney+. “There’s so many spin-offs of Star Wars. It’s diluting it to me, and it’s taken away the mystery and the magic in a weird way.”
Star Wars fans will be quick to point out that Neeson made a cameo appearance as his character Qui-Gon Jinn in Disney’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series, though Neeson says it was just a bit of fun. During the interview, he said it was “nice to do the little bit with Ewan [McGregor]” in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Still, he doesn’t plan to make returning to galaxies far, far away a habit anytime soon. Neeson paired with Paul Rudd on the Watch What Happens Live episode, to whom he turned and said, “We did a TV version. I appeared in the last episode. I had two lines to say. Two lines.” Neeson added, “And that was cool! I loved doing that!”
Despite wanting to play Qui-Gon Jinn in a manageable capacity, Neeson is busier than ever. He’s leading Akiva Schaffer’s remake of The Naked Gun and has multiple projects in varying stages of development. Thug, directed by Hans Petter Moland, is in post-production. Thug focuses on an aging gangster who attempts to reconnect with his children and rectify the mistakes in his past. Still, the criminal underworld won’t loosen its grip on him willingly.
The Robert Lorenz-directed drama, In the Land of Saints and Sinners, is also in post-production. The story takes place in a remote Irish village, where a damaged Finbar is forced to fight for redemption after a lifetime of sins. Nimród Antal’s Retribution is also in post-production. Starring Liam Neeson, Jack Champion, and Embeth Davidtz, Retribution focuses on a bank executive who receives a bomb threat while driving his children to school. He’s told his car will explode if they stop and get out.
With no shortage of films on the horizon, Liam Neeson doesn’t need to revisit the Star Wars Universe anytime soon. Are the spin-offs oversaturating that Star Wars market? In the comments below, let us know if you agree with Mr. Neeson’s comments.