Another shift has taken place in the galaxy of “Star Wars.” Screenwriter Steven Knight has exited the film planned to follow Daisy Ridley’s Rey, set after the events of 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
In March 2023, Variety reported exclusively that Knight had joined the project, stepping in for original writers Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson.
Lucasfilm is now actively seeking new writers to take on the story, which is expected to follow Rey’s journey as she establishes a new Jedi Academy. However, this recent delay suggests production may not start until well into 2025.
Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy remains attached to the film, which will mark her feature debut. She previously directed episodes of the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel and is a two-time Oscar winner for best documentary short film.
Discussing her recent documentary on designer Diane von Furstenberg, which premiered on Hulu in June, Obaid-Chinoy told Variety that what interests her most in the Star Wars universe is “Rey’s journey as a female Jedi,” which she feels resonates deeply with her own experiences.
Meanwhile, Steven Knight has been notably prolific in film and television, working on the screenplay for the upcoming Maria Callas biopic Maria, starring Angelina Jolie, and an adaptation of his popular BBC series Peaky Blinders, featuring Cillian Murphy. He’s also created series for FX (The Veil), Disney+ (A Thousand Blows), and the BBC (This Town).
The next Star Wars film slated for release is The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau, scheduled for May 2026.
Disney has additionally planned two more Star Wars releases for December 2026 and December 2027, though their titles remain unconfirmed.
At the 2023 Star Wars Celebration in London, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced that in addition to Obaid-Chinoy’s film, the studio was developing other movies with director James Mangold (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) and Dave Filoni, the chief creative officer at Lucasfilm and executive producer of Disney+ series Ahsoka and The Mandalorian.
