Rey’sNew Jedi Ordermovie still doesn’t have a writer, and its future is uncertain in light of a new trilogy to be written by Simon Kinberg. Last year, Daisy Ridley took to the stage at Star Wars Celebration to announce her return as Rey, in a standalone movie pitched bySharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. The project has proved to be pretty ill-fated, though, with Rey’s New Jedi Order movie recently losing screenwriter Steven Knight. Things became even more confusing last week, withthe announcement of anewStar Warstrilogy written by Simon Kinberg- and potentially positioned as Episodes 10-12.
A new report by THR lays bare the scale of the problems facing Lucasfilm.Rey’s New Jedi Order movie still hasn’t hired a new writer, which means it’s effectively in limbo right now. What’s more, Rey is expected to play a part in multiple movies that are in development - potentially in Kinberg’s trilogy. The fundamental problem, though, is that any one of these stories could have an impact on Obaid-Chinoy’s movie by locking in Rey’s status quo in a different way to the one she’d planned. As THR put it:
“Development of movies at the company remains its own unique ecosystem in Hollywood. There are numerousStar Warsmovies being developed that overlap characters or timelines. They are not related but whatever one were to come out first, could, in a domino effect, then impact the ones after it. (James Mangold’s “Dawn of the Jedi” movie that takes places long before the Skywalkers may be one of the exceptions.)”
What Rey’s Uncertain Future Means For Star Wars
This all sounds rather chaotic right now. The general assumption had been that Lucasfilm was choosing to keep future movie plans under wraps until the time was right, perhaps even planning to make major announcements at Star Wars Celebration next year. Now, THR’s report raises the disturbing possibility the studio is simply uncertain about where to go and what to do next; the development pipeline sounds a little too like a maze.
There is, however, one exciting takeaway here;Lucasfilm know that Daisy Ridley’s Rey is their big cinematic asset. Other characters and franchises are yet to prove themselves on the big screen, but - for all she’s criticized by some portions of theStar Warsfanbase - Rey is a major draw. Lucasfilm surely didn’t miss the delight when her return was announced last year, and she was one of the most popular cosplays at the event.
Our Take On Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order Movie
Obaid-Chinoy is easily one of Lucasfilm’s most intriguing hires, and it would be a shame to see her movie die off. Ridley initially signed up to return toStar Warson the basis of her pitch, which she believed was unique and unusual, and her comments have left us really excited about this particular project. OtherupcomingStar Warsmoviesfeel a little safer;The Mandalorian and Groguwill surely perform well, while Kinberg is best seen as a safe pair of hands for a trilogy given his experience working with big studios.
Lucasfilm has developed something of a reputation for behind-the-scenes chaos, and so many different projects have wound up in development hell. This is having a real effect on the fanbase right now, as viewers are unable or unwilling to get excited about movies when they are announced; they are skeptical over whether or not they’ll even happen. Unfortunately, the latest reports onRey’s New Jedi Order moviesuggest they are right.
