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 yet-untitled feature film featuring the return of Rey, the former scavenger turned Jedi warrior, is set to enter production soon. Details about the upcoming film have been scarce, but reports suggest it will start production next Spring in the United Kingdom.
Shooting of the untitled ‘Star Wars’ film will likely take place at the Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, where the previous three installments in the “Skywalker Saga” were filmed. The film is expected to start prep in the Fall and will begin principal photography sometime around April 2024. However, the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes will likely impact production, which will only start on the expected timeframe if the strikes are resolved in the coming months.
The untitled film will reportedly be set 15 years after the events of ‘Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.’ However, the reports suggest the film will be steering away from the preestablished lore of the “Skywalker Saga.” It is expected to drop the “Episode” prefix from the titles. The movie will be an entirely new story separate from the overarching narrative that guides the franchise’s original, prequel, and sequel trilogies. 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 Lindelof and Britt Gibson. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be directing the yet-untitled film. Obaid-Chinoy is best known for directing episodes of the Marvel comics-based superhero drama series ‘Ms. Marvel.’ Kennedy is set to produce the film for Disney under the Lucasfilm banner. The untitled film (rumored to be titled ‘Star Wars: New Jedi Order’) does not have an official release date yet but is expected to arrive sometime in 2026 at the earliest.
Read More: Shows Like Star Wars Ahsoka
