I was most interested in Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's New Jedi Order movie. Announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, this has been subject to delay for some time; Steven Knight left the project last year, ultimately replaced by George Nolfi (of The Bourne Ultimatum fame). Why didn't Kennedy mention this, and what's really going on?

Disney Know How Important Rey Is To Star Wars

She's Their Most Valuable Cinematic Asset

If we're going to figure this out, we've got to start by acknowledging a simple fact: Rey is Lucasfilm's most valuable cinematic asset. Daisy Ridley's return was the centerpiece of Star Wars Celebration in London, and I'll never forget the reception; I was in the room at the time, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. At the time, it was a welcome reminder that the internet is not real life, and that online discussion doesn't reflect the real world. I couldn't help noticing the sheer number of Rey cosplayers at Celebration, too - more than anyone else (with Din Djarin a close second).

There's a reason I'm stressing this point: Lucasfilm know how important it is to get Rey right. The character is far too important, far too significant, for Ridley's return to be fumbled. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Deadline was asked not to ask anything about Rey - perhaps because the news is waiting for Star Wars Celebration. In this case, then, no news is good news.

Shawn Levy's Movie & Simon Kinberg's Trilogy All Likely Need Rey

This Fits With Previous Reports

Back in November last year, there were intriguing reports that Lucasfilm was working on multiple movies featuring Rey. Assuming this is the case, it's logical to assume the ones set closest to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker would be particularly important, especially if they came out first. That makes another of Kennedy's comments especially interesting: she revealed Shawn Levy's mystery Star Wars movie will be next after 2027's The Mandalorian and Grogu, and that it will be set five or six years after the sequel trilogy.

We're presumably going to learn more about Levy's movie at Star Wars Celebration. Looking beyond that, Kennedy revealed Simon Kinberg's trilogy is vital to Star Wars' future; describing it as "the next iteration" of Star Wars, she called it "the new saga that moves us into the future." Personally, I think it's impossible to imagine such a future without Rey. Given this is the case, it's reasonable to assume both Levy's movie and Kinberg's trilogy will feature the return of Daisy Ridley's Rey.

Will Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's New Jedi Order Movie Actually Happen?

I Still Think This Has A Solid Chance

What does all this mean for Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's New Jedi Order movie? Well, we can't rule out the possibility that it's canceled. Kennedy herself insists that studios commission projects that aren't followed through on all the time, and shows more than a little frustration with this fandom's fixation on canceled Star Wars movies. "Of course, we’re going to develop lots of different things with an understanding that not everything gets made," she pointed out. This, I'm afraid, could be one of them.

But I still think Obaid-Chinoy's project has a fair chance of being made. I think this because it's rather unusual among the many projects commissioned by Lucasfilm - unusual enough that Obaid-Chinoy's pitch persuaded Ridley to return to Star Wars a lot sooner than she'd planned. If Rey is so important, literally written into the Levy and Kinberg movies, then the movie that won Ridley over is surely still likely to happen.

That doesn't mean it will remain unchanged, though. If I'm right, then Levy's movie is essentially a launchpad for whatever Kinberg is planning; it's designed to set up a new status quo, including for Rey's New Jedi Order. The Kinberg trilogy will then follow on from that... and, whatever Obaid-Chinoy is planning, her movie will have to fit into what has already been established. That could even explain rewrites, given Nolfi's scripts will need to work around other stories. It would make a lot of sense - and we'll probably learn whether I'm right at this year's Star Wars Celebration.

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Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

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George Nolfi

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