Osgood Perkins Has the Perfect Darth Vader Horror Movie Pitch—And Star Wars Needs It

Longlegs and The Monkey, director Osgood Perkins has shared an exciting idea for a Star Wars movie. During a Reddit AMA, a fan asked him, “Is there a story you wish you had the budget or technology to make into a movie?” Perkins responded, “The collected dreams and nightmares of Darth Vader told as short stories.”

This simple response suggests a unique and eerie Star Wars project, possibly as a movie or a Disney+ series. Perkins, known for his horror films like The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, seems interested in bringing a darker, scarier tone to the Star Wars universe.

His idea could show terrifying visions and nightmares from Darth Vader’s mind, revealing the pain and trauma Anakin Skywalker has suffered throughout his life, but it also seems a bit much for a kid-friendly universe to be honest.

It’s not that there’s no material to make a mini-series out of it, however, but it would be hard to market. Some episodes could focus on guilt over Padme’s death, regret over killing the younglings, and betrayal of Obi-Wan. Even focusing on his physical suffering alone after Mustafar seems like good material for a body-horror-inspired episode titled “His Body as a Prison.”

A horror-focused Star Wars project about Vader’s nightmares could be a deep character study. It could show his inner demons, his fear, and his struggles in ways never seen before. Star Wars has always had dark moments, but a true horror story would be something new for the franchise.