The New Jedi Order Star Wars project starring Daisy Ridley as Rey is feeling decidedly peaky as screenwriter Steven Knight departs the project, leaving the film without a writer. Director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy remains onboard as director, but with the project seemingly sliding further behind schedule, James Mangold apparently claiming that his Dawn of the Jedi film will start shooting in 2025 and The Mandalorian & Grogu now completing its principal photography, it’s looking like the Rey film will be the last out of the gate of the current trio on the slate.
Screenwriter Steven Knight has departed the “Star Wars” movie set to follow Daisy Ridley’s Rey after the events of 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”
In March 2023, Variety exclusively reported that Knight had signed onto the project, replacing original screenwriters Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson. Lucasfilm is actively talking with potential writers to take on the story, which has been said to chronicle Rey’s efforts to start a new Jedi Academy, but the delay likely means production won’t start until well into 2025 at least.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is still attached to direct the film, which would be her feature debut; she previously directed episodes of the Disney+ series “Ms. Marvel” after twice winning the Oscar for best documentary short film. While discussing her latest documentary about designer Diane von Furstenberg, which premiered on Hulu in June, Obaid-Chinoy told Variety that the “Star Wars” story “that interests me most is in Rey’s journey as a female Jedi. That’s how I can best bring my experiences to it.”
We may be keen for more Star Wars, but impatience won’t deliver the high quality film the series needs right now. Far better to find the right creatives, gather a confident team with vision and stick the landing.
