Daisy Ridley is assuring fans not to worry about her upcoming Star Wars movie following news of the writer departing. Lucasfilm has many different Star Wars movies in development, with one of them following Ridley’s character Rey 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. The untitled film will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and was set to be written by Steven Knight, but he recently dropped out of the film, causing some fans to be concerned that this would be one of many announced movies that would never materialize.
On a recent episode of The Playlist‘s Discourse Podcast, while promoting her latest film, Magpie, Ridley offered a little insight into the film’s creative process. She debunks one claim upfront, as reports of Knight leaving the project meant that her Rey-focused Star Wars movie would not make its rumored December 2026 release date when she said, “We don’t have a date.” This is true as neither Disney nor Lucasfilm ever set an official date for the film. As for losing their writer, Ridley points out that it is just part of moviemaking, as multiple writers tend to come and go on projects. She said, “I think the creative process is one that is really a journey.”
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Unfortunately, Knight isn’t the first writer to have worked on this Rey-led Star Wars film. Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson were originally attached to write the film before departing in March 2023. At the time, it was unknown that the movie would be centered on Rey and take place after The Rise of Skywalker, but rumors suggested that Lindelof and Britt-Gibson’s pitch would have taken place much further in the Star Wars timeline and that they wanted Helen Mirren to play Rey. Those reports were never officially confirmed by either the writers or anyone involved at Lucasfilm, and Lindelof noted that he was asked to leave the project. Meanwhile, Knight submitted four drafts before also departing the Rey movie.
Still On Track for Release
Disney and Lucasfilm currently have two untitled release dates saved for Star Wars films: December 18, 2026, and December 17, 2027. The assumption was that the Rey film would take the 2026 slot because it was further along in development than James Mangold’s first Jedi movie or Davie Filoni’s crossover film. Yet, the idea of the Rey movie being released on December 18 was all speculation. However, if it is indeed delayed, it would give them time to hire a new writer, rework the script, and begin production. Even if it arrives in theaters in 2027, it certainly would be better for Lucasfilm to take their time than rush out a Star Wars movie to meet a release date, as that is one of the factors that doomed The Rise of Skywalker.
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Ridley has already teased that her planned Rey-led Star Wars film might be the beginning of something new, possibly a trilogy of films. What will be interesting is if the film will be Star Wars Episode X and continue the Skywalker Saga, or if Lucasfilm will stick to their guns and keep The Rise of Skywalker as the conclusion of the saga. Instead, the Rey movie would be a new starting point for an entirely new era of Star Wars films, television, video games, and novels. Whenever the upcoming film comes out, be it 2026 or 2027, or even later, it will be one met with the usual vitriol that Star Wars projects led by women often face. However, it will also likely be met with a great deal of excitement as Rey is still a very popular character among Star Wars fans, and audiences who might have seen The Force Awakens when they were kids will be teenagers and young adults when the next Star Wars adventure hits the big screen.