Star Wars absence on the big screen has been noticed for a while now, with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) being their last film in theaters. Now, the franchise's return to cinemas is the most anticipated.
During this year’s Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm gave the fans something to look forward to with the unveiling of a slate of projects, including new shows and movies that will be released soon.
One of the projects that were announced was Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s untitled Jedi movie that will bring Daisy Ridley back as Rey Skywalker.
Disney recently announced an altered calendar of Star Wars future releases, which raises questions about whether Obaid-Chinoy’s project is affected by the changes and which new films have been added to the mix.
What’s the status of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s upcoming Jedi movie?
Hot Mic reporter Jeff Sneider insisted that Lucasfilm still intends to shoot Obaid-Chinoy’s Ridley-starring film in April 2024, potentially targeting a May 2026 release date. It’s not confirmed, but it’s heavily implied by some reports, including a story in The Hollywood Reporter indicating that Lucasfilm wanted the New Jedi Order film to mark their return to the big screen.
With an April 2024 target date for filming, Lucasfilm could start pre-production on Obaid-Chinoy’s film by the end of 2023 at the latest, and the script could possibly be in function in the fall of this year. However, given the writers’ strike, this might have altered the vision, especially since Kathleen Kennedy has already spoken out publicly in favor of the writers, as she should.
Around 2022, Lucasfilm hired Obaid-Chinoy as director, with Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson co-writing. However, both co-writers left the project this year, leaving the responsibility to Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
Despite being the first to be confirmed, Ridley will not play the lead in the movie. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was apparently attached as the lead actor, but after Lindelof quit, the actor allegedly left as well.
The Hot Mic podcast co-host John Rocha said in one of their episodes that the Lucasfilm president was negotiating with John Boyega's representatives about the actor's involvement with Obaid-Chinoy’s film, although that has yet to be confirmed.
What two new films have been added to the Star Wars calendar?
According to the new calendar, Disney is no longer releasing a Star Wars film on December 19, 2025. Instead, they are planning on releasing two feature films in 2026, seven months apart, on May 22, 2026, and December 18, 2026.
Both new films remained untitled, but according to some reports, the movie set in December 2026 is likely related to the Mandalorian culmination event, while the film slated for a December 2027 release is rumored to be the Dawn of the Jedi movie.
There is a third Star Wars theatrical release scheduled for December 17, 2027, which has not been moved. Rumors have it that this is most likely the film written and directed by James Mangold.
Rian Johnson and Taika Waititi are the other two big directors that are set to work on the other upcoming new Star Wars movies.
