Spider-Man Director Jon Watts Tapped to Helm the Next Chapter in Disney's Star Wars Skywalker Saga
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Disney has tapped Spider-Man director Jon Watts to helm the opening film of a new Skywalker Saga trilogy written by Simon Kinberg and featuring the return of Daisy Ridley's Rey Skywalker.
Disney and Lucasfilm are officially plotting the next major theatrical chapter for a galaxy far, far away, tapping Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran Jon Watts to direct the first film in a brand-new Skywalker Saga trilogy. Written by Star Wars Rebels veteran Simon Kinberg, the project is set to bring Daisy Ridley's Rey Skywalker back to the big screen. According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter, the film is still waiting on an official green light from Disney while the foundation of the story comes together, though it sits comfortably ahead of most other upcoming Lucasfilm slates in active development.
For a franchise that has spent the last several years finding its footing on the silver screen, the news signals a deliberate pivot back to familiar bloodlines after a period defined by streaming experiments and box office turbulence. While the television side of the universe has found consistent critical darlings in projects like Andor, the theatrical side has struggled to recapture the cultural dominance it once held. Bringing in Watts, who steered Marvel through its massive Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy and already knows the Lucasfilm ropes from co-creating Skeleton Crew, shows Disney is looking for proven blockbuster directors who know how to manage massive, multi-platform fandoms.
Of course, modern Star Wars fans know better than to hold their breath at the first sign of a title announcement, given how many high-profile projects have stalled in pre-production over the last half-decade. With Kinberg recently finishing a detailed seventy-page treatment and other entries like Shawn Levy's Starfighter targeting a 2027 release date, this new trilogy is clearly playing the long game. Whether this creative team can successfully revitalize the Skywalker name for a generation of players and viewers raised on live service roadmaps and on-demand streaming remains to be seen, but the machine is undeniably moving forward.
Tags: Star Wars, Disney, Movies, Entertainment, Lucasfilm
Original article: IGN South Africa