It's been almost two years since Star Wars Celebration was held in London, England. At the event, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Logan director James Mangold revealed his plans to head into a Galaxy Far, Far Away for a story about the First Jedi.
While we know this untitled Star Wars movie - typically referred to as "Dawn of the Jedi" - will be set roughly 25,000 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, few updates have been shared since. That's likely because it's had to compete with A Complete Unknown for the filmmaker's attention.
Today, we have an update on Mangold's Star Wars plans (via SFFGazette.com). It's said that the current idea is for the movie to begin shooting in December. The script, written by Mangold and Andor's Beau Willimon, will be completed by the summer and it's then casting will begin.
That's a big step forward for the movie and a pretty good indication Lucasfilm has finally got its act together and plans to bring Star Wars back to the big screen where it belongs on a regular basis.
However, this means DC Studios' Swamp Thing won't begin production until well into 2026 (at the earliest). While a 2027 release is possible, a 2028 release for the DCU title now seems far more likely for Mangold's "standalone...very simple, clean, Gothic horror movie about this man/monster."
Back to Star Wars, and The Mandalorian and Grogu is in post-production for a 2026 release and George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum) has just been tapped to rewrite Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's Daisy Ridley-led Star Wars: New Jedi Order movie.
During a recent interview, Mangold said, "To me, the really important aspects are the freedom to make something new. Beau Willimon and I, in relation to Star Wars, have been working on a script, and we'll see what happens. Do we find a way on the page to say something original?"
That is a challenge with a franchise like this and it's something many feel Mangold failed to achieve with the final Indiana Jones movie.
However, a big part of what sets his Star Wars story apart from others is when it's set. "The Star Wars movie would be taking place 25,000 years before any known Star Wars movies takes place," he explained. "It's an area and a playground that I've always [wanted to explore] and that I was inspired by as a teenager."
"I'm not that interested in being handcuffed by so much lore at this point that it's almost immovable, and you can't please anybody."
Mangold isn't wrong there but if he fumbles the ball and delivers an origin story for the Jedi that doesn't sit well with fans, he might still face risk facing their wrath.
Whether Star Wars is still, well, Star Wars without those familiar locations and characters is hotly debated, particularly after The Acolyte - which took place hundreds of years before The Phantom Menace - struggled to strike a chord with viewers on Disney+. Does this origin story run the risk of being too different?
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi doesn't have a confirmed release date, and we don't anticipate seeing it in theaters until 2027 or 2028 at the earliest.