A great deal has been said about the upcoming Star Wars movie featuring Daisy Ridley's return as Rey Skywalker. This month alone, we've seen conflicting reports about whether the project still has a writer but, as of now, it looks like this sequel to the divisive sequel trilogy is on track for a December 2026 debut.
Variety (via SFFGazette.com) recently spoke the actress and asked for her thoughts on how having a female filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, is likely to impact the franchise. For clarification, this will mark the first time a woman has directed a Star Wars movie; several have helmed episodes of TV shows like The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"The short answer is I don’t know. I’m excited to do the job, but not because Sharmeen is a woman," Ridley responded. "Her documentaries are amazing. Her idea for the story is cool as sh*t. No spoilers, but she gave me a rundown of the entire story. If it weren’t amazing, I would have been like, 'OK, call me in five years.' But it’s worthwhile."
As for whether she'll find it odd making a Star Wars movie without fellow sequel trilogy co-stars Adam Driver, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac, the actress added, "No, because I don’t know what is what or who is who [in the new movie]. So much has happened for me [since the Skywalker saga]. I feel like a grown-up now. When I first started, I was, like, 20. I was the youngest on set."
"It took me the first two 'Star Wars' films to feel worthy of being there," Ridley continued. "Now I’m in my 30s. The whole thing feels quite different. I’ve been able to work with other filmmakers, and hopefully, I’ve got better as a performer."
The fact she doesn't know whether those actors will return isn't a shock, though we wouldn't expect her to reveal otherwise! However, they've all pretty much closed the door on doing more Star Wars, and of the three, Finn's story as a possible Jedi is arguably the one most fans would like to see continue.
When it comes to the rest of Lucasfilm's current Star Wars plans, James Mangold has been hired by the studio to tell the story of the first Jedi thousands of years in the past. Another movie, this time from Dave Filoni, will be set in the same timeline as The Mandalorian for a crossover event which is expected to put Grand Admiral Thrawn front and centre.
However, as we learned earlier this month, Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian & Grogu is up first. That may or may not be a replacement for The Mandalorian season 4, but it's clear Disney is relying on that titular duo to reignite interest in the franchise not on streaming, but in theaters.
Then, there's this Rey project, a movie taking us back to the sequel trilogy for a story set 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.
Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be at the helm and, as noted, Ridley will reprise her role as 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. What those are remains to be seen.
Keep checking back here for Star Wars updates as we have them.