Kathleen Kennedy's time in charge of Lucasfilm has been dominated by creative differences and movies and TV shows which have been announced but failed to ever actually reach the screen.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) is the latest writer to depart the Rey movie first announced at last April's Star Wars Celebration. Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson were originally tapped to develop The Rise of Skywalker follow-up, only for Knight to step in when their vision clashed with Kennedy's.
It looked like Knight might be the one to get this story about Rey, now a Jedi Master looking to create a new Jedi Order while attempting to combat the dark forces that rise up to stop her, across the finish line. Apparently not.
The studio is now in talks with other writers but this should mean production won't start until deep into 2025.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is the next Star Wars movie and remains on track to be released in May 2026. Whether the mystery titles slated for December 2026 and December 2027 will happen is hard to say.
Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy remains attached to direct this "New Jedi Order" movie which is, for all intents and purposes, Episode X. The expectation is that it will serve as an epilogue to the divisive sequel trilogy which may go some way in redeeming the questionable creative decisions made in those movies.
Lead star Daisy Ridley was asked about her Star Wars return earlier this week and said, "Things are evolving. I continue to be very excited. There will be an update soon."
It's getting harder to ignore the cries from fans who believe Kennedy needs to go from Lucasfilm, especially when looking back at just how much the studio has struggled to make the Star Wars franchise a success in theaters. One or two more flops and the brand may be damaged beyond repair.
Earlier this year, Ridley discussed her return and explained why she agreed to play Rey again after the divisive reaction to The Rise of Skywalker.
"I suppose I feel more like I’m owning it. I suppose I owned it the first time. Basically, I’m an adult now. I certainly did not feel like an adult at the time. Obviously, personally, things have changed, and professionally, I’ve had lots of other experiences, and so I definitely feel like it’s a different thing this time. There’s just a lot of joy with me and these films. Honestly, if I wasn’t excited, I wouldn’t have done it. It feels like a great thing to be a part of."
Keep checking back here for updates as we have them.