Summary
An upcomingStar Warsmovie recently received a sign of confidence at Lucasfilm by landing a new writer. However, this positive development likely means fans must wait longer for the anticipated film.
A newStar Warsmovie starring Daisy Ridley as Rey was first announced at theStar Wars Celebrationin Spring 2023. Since then, multiple writers have left the project.LostandThe Leftoversshowrunner Damon Lindelof was initially co-writing theStar Warsmovie (unofficially titledNew Jedi Order) with Justin Britt-Gibson until they exited the project and were replaced byPeaky Blinderscreator Steven Knight.Ridley’s newStar Warsmovie suffered another setbackwhen Knight departed in October 2024.
Now,The Hollywood Reporterreports thatOcean’s 12andThe Bourne Ultimatumwriter George Nolfi has been tapped to write theNew Jedi Ordermovie. While this development signifies that Lucasfilm still has faith in the project,THR notes that the scrips delays have “pushed back any hoped-for production starts for the project.“Lucasfilm reportedly hoped theNew Jedi Ordermovie would be the nextStar Warsfilm to begin production afterThe Mandalorian and Grogufilming wrapped. Now, Shawn Levy’s untitledStar Warsmovie is the next feature film in the franchise to begin filming, with Ryan Gosling in negotiations to star. Despite the revolving door of writers, theNew Jedi Ordermovie still has filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on board as director.
While some may view the constant script delays as a sign that theRey Skywalker movie should be canceled, Lucasfilm must want this project to work out. Having new writers tackle the project isn’t necessarily a sign that the film is doomed. Marvel Studios is criticized for pushing projects forward when the script isn’t complete, seemingly hoping to resolve any problems during production or in post. This strategy may have worked for them before, but lately, it has resulted in a string of box office disappointments or bombs for the MCU. So, perhaps fans should be relieved that Lucasfilm is taking the required time to nail the script.
It’s not uncommon for Hollywood blockbusters to go through multiple writers, but Lucasfilm has canceled so manyStar Warsprojects in recent years that fans can’t be blamed for assuming theNew Jedi Ordermovie could be next. Disney reportedly toldLucasfilm to stop announcingStar Warsprojects earlyto avoid fan backlash if and when those projects failed to move forward. Maybe fans wouldn’t view the frequent change in writers as a sign that theNew Jedi Order movie is troubled if Lucasfilm hadn’t announced it so early. Disney likes to make a splash at conventions by announcing high-profile projects, but perhaps the lesson here is to avoid doing so to dodge any bad press when these movies or shows take longer than expected.
Star Wars: New Jedi Orderis in development at Lucasfilm.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, TV shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
