Last week, we got word that that Lucasfilm is developing a new Star Wars trilogy, with Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) tapped to write and produce all three films.
Deadline's initial report claimed that this new trilogy will continue the Skywalker Saga with Episodes 10, 11 and 12, but the trade noted that this intel has been disputed, and others with knowledge of the projects believe that Kinberg will "instead begin a new saga and sits alongside Star Wars percolating projects with James Mangold, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Taika Waititi, and Donald Glover."
EW would later weigh-in, reporting that "these movies will be the start of a new saga rather than the continuation of the numbered Star Wars films," while insider Jeff Sneider was more inclined to side with the original report, adding that Daisy Ridley's Rey will be "positioned as the Obi-Wan of the new trilogy.”
Now, THR has shared some updates, and it sounds like Disney and Lucasfilm do indeed see Rey "Skywalker" as being key to the franchise's future.
According to the trade, Rey is expected to appear in the new trilogy, and potentially several other projects (though which ones are not clear). “She is the most valuable cinematic asset, in some ways maybe the only one, Star Wars has right now,” one source tells the site.
Where this would leave Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's Rey-focused movie - which is expected to be set 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker - is hard to say, but a new writer has either been hired or is being sought to replace Steven Knight, which would obviously suggest that the project is still moving forward.
That said, THR does mention "rumors in the Star Wars underground of filmmakers jostling for characters."
"Rey, the scavenger-turned-Jedi played by Daisy Ridley in the last three episode movies, is key to the franchise’s next turn. That potentially puts Kinberg’s trilogy story development, as early in its conceptual stages as it may be, on a collision course with the Rey standalone movie that is actively in the works with director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy."
Ridley addressed her return as the powerful Force-wielder for the first time since Celebration during a 2023 interview with Collider.
"I was shitting myself before I went on stage, because no one knew I was going to that," she said of her surprise appearance at the Celebration panel. "No one knew I was going to Celebration, bar like Kathy [Kennedy] and there were a couple of people. I was so nervous. Oh my God. It was such a wonderful reception. I'm very excited. The story is really cool. I'm waiting to read a script because, obviously, I don't have any other updates. It's not what I expected, but I'm very excited."
"I know the storyline for one film," she added. That's not to say that that's all it is, but that's what I was told about. And I imagine it will be the next film, I think. I mean, again, I don't know, post strikes and everything, how quickly everything will start up again. But yes, so far, I know the story of one film and I think people will be very excited."