Star Wars Celebration saw Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy make a number of big announcements about the franchise's future in theaters, but fans have become wise to that in recent years. After all, the executive has made promises which haven't been kept on several occasions now, with Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron perhaps the most noteworthy example.
James Mangold is heading into this Galaxy Far, Far Away to tell the story of the first Jedi 25,000 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga, while Dave Filoni plans to bring together Disney+'s TV shows for an epic crossover event set in The Mandalorian's timeframe.
However, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's untitled project, which will see Daisy Ridley reprise the role of Rey, is thought to be up first and a 2025 release looks likely.
There are some concerns, though, as we've heard about creative issues behind the scenes which saw original writers Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson replaced by Steven Knight. Now, a new rumour shared on The Hot Mic podcast suggests that when this Star Wars movie lost Lindelof, it lost its original lead star as well.
An unnamed actor was supposedly part of his pitch to Lucasfilm, and we've previously heard that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who worked with Lindelof on Watchmen, was that star. Whoever it was is no longer part of the project as a result of rewrites which have either changed the role significantly or written the character out. It's also speculated that the actor chose to walk away when the writer did.
As we've noted, Ridley wasn't expected to be the movie's lead, though these rewrites might change that. With John Boyega's Finn now expected to be part of this follow-up to The Rise of Skywalker (it's set 15 years after the events of that story), it's possible he's the movie's new main character; it's simply too soon to say.
Kennedy recently told reporters that the current version of the script is set to be finished by May, and this latest report claims that pre-production begins in August with cameras then rolling next February.
While casting news is surely imminent, all we really know is that the movie will tell the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down.
Stay tuned for updates.