Kathleen Kennedy Teases Star Wars Future—but Mysteriously Omits Rey’s Return
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has given an update on upcoming Star Wars projects. She confirmed that several movies are in development but did not mention Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey film.
Kennedy confirmed that ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ movie is currently in production. After that, director Shawn Levy will begin working on his Star Wars film.
She also confirmed that writer and producer Simon Kinberg is working on a new Star Wars trilogy. He is currently writing the script, and fans can expect to see progress by June. Kennedy praised Kinberg’s past work with Lucasfilm and is excited about the new project. Kennedy explained that trilogy of movies as “the next iteration, the new saga that moves us into the future.”
We’re absolutely rolling fast and furiously. That has gone exceptionally well, and he’s literally going to script as we speak. We’ll see something probably around June. Simon, if you remember, he did some work with us years ago with the animated show, which was a really wonderful collaborative experience. And he then got very, very busy with X-Men and then recently became available again, and he segued into this space beautifully. We’re really excited about where that’s headed.
Levy’s movie will also take place after Episode IX. It is a standalone story set about five or six years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Kennedy mentioned that this film would mostly feature new characters, though some familiar faces may return.
That’s also in the future. It’s all post-[the first] nine. Shawn’s is a standalone Star Wars story that’ll take place post-nine, maybe five or six years out. And Mandalorian really stands on its own because there, we’re dealing with a whole other era in the New Republic. We have other development going on in that space as well. So that’s the space that we’re pretty much focused on right at the moment, because obviously with Mandalorian we have a pretty good sense of where that’s going. And with this, it’s all pretty much new characters. We may bring some of the characters back from the sequel saga, but pretty much new characters.
Kennedy shared that Lucasfilm has three or four projects in early development. She explained that hiring top talent is a challenge since Star Wars films require a long-term commitment of at least two to three years.
James Mangold is currently writing the script for his Star Wars prequel. He was delayed due to his work on the Bob Dylan movie A Complete Unknown, but he is now focusing on Star Wars.
Yep. He’s working on this script right now. Simon’s working on scripts right now. Shawn, we had been working with him already for about a year and a half. These guys are available now. Jim, he got delayed a bit because of the Dylan movie and the awards season. You have to accommodate top talent to a certain extent. And quality is so important with what it is we’re trying to do. I like to wait for people that I think are passionate and really good to step into Star Wars.
Kennedy also mentioned director Taika Waititi. He is working on his Star Wars script with another writer. Kennedy had already seen the first act and loved it. However, Waititi’s busy schedule makes it difficult to complete the project quick
Well, I keep waiting for Taika [Waititi], and he is working with another writer now. He’s so busy. I love him. I think if we ever do get a script from Taika, it’s going to be fantastic. I already saw a first act that I loved, but tying him down, it’s tricky.
Curiously, Kennedy did not mention Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order movie, which is expected to focus on Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order using ancient texts. Originally announced during the 2023 Star Wars Celebration event, the film has since entered development hell, progressing at a sluggish pace over the past two years.
The project has undergone multiple writer changes, with George Nolfi now penning the script after taking over from Steven Knight. Long-standing rumors suggest that the studio has faced challenges with the film. However, Daisy Ridley recently provided an update, revealing that while she has yet to read the script, she is familiar with the overall story—and she describes it as excellent.
Kathleen Kennedy’s silence on New Jedi Order is certainly not a promising sign, especially considering she did provide an update on Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie—a project that many had assumed was effectively dead based on widespread speculation.
The fact that Kennedy deliberately avoided mentioning New Jedi Order, despite acknowledging other projects with uncertain futures, suggests that the film may be facing more significant challenges behind the scenes than Lucasfilm is willing to admit. Given the multiple writer changes and its slow progress, concerns about the movie’s fate are only growing. If the project were on solid footing, one would expect at least some reassurance or confirmation of its status.
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