Pratik Handore
‘Star Wars‘ fans have waited for a long time to return to the big screen, with the evergreen space opera franchise having yet to release a new installment in the past four years. However, the wait will be over soon as director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s ‘Star Wars: Episode X – A New Beginning,’ featuring the return of Rey, the former scavenger turned Jedi warrior, is set to enter production in the United Kingdom in September. The movie is scheduled to be released in 2026.
The film will reportedly be set 15 years after the events of ‘Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.’ However, the reports suggest the narrative will be steering away from the preestablished lore of the “Skywalker Saga.” Rey is expected to have a supporting role in the movie, which is being equated to those of Luke Skywalker (in the sequel trilogy) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (in the original trilogy).
Actress Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, is confirmed to be reprising her role in the upcoming film, but no further casting announcements have been made yet. The project was first announced in April 2023 by Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy at the Star Wars Celebration. “What we’re exploring is the evolution of the Jedi. We’re going very far back; we’re looking at the present, and now we’re moving 15 years after ‘The Rise Of Skywalker,'” Kennedy said of the upcoming film in a May 2023 interview with Empire. “The First Order has fallen, the Jedi are in chaos – there’s even a question of how many exist anymore – and Rey’s building the New Jedi Order, based on the text that she was given and that Luke imparted on her,” she added.
The film’s script underwent several revisions, with Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson initially attached as co-writers. In March 2023, Steven Knight was announced as the writer, replacing Damon and Justin. Obaid-Chinoy is best known for directing episodes of the Marvel Comics-based superhero drama series ‘Ms. Marvel.’ Kennedy produces the film for Disney under the Lucasfilm banner.
“I’m very thrilled about the project because I feel what we’re about to create is something very special,” Obaid-Chinoy told CNN. “We’re in 2024 now, and it’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away,” the filmmaker added.
The project’s shooting will likely take place at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, where the previous three installments in the “Skywalker Saga” were filmed.
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