Contrary to dire predictions, it seems that Rey Skywalker will likely be returning to the big screen as planned. Or simply when she’s good and ready. Amid industry rumors that the much-discussed film Star Wars: New Jedi Order suffered the departure of screenwriter Steven Knight, the star of the film, Daisy Ridley, is suggesting that fans can expect some kind of more formal announcement very soon.
So is the Rey movie doomed, or is there suddenly a very new hope? When it comes to Star Wars rumors, the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own points of view, but if we accept the words of certain Jedi as trustworthy, it seems that this film is still being made. It’s just a matter of when.
Speaking to Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast — which was posted on October 25 — Daisy Ridley fielded the requisite question of Star Wars updates, and when and if the Rey-centric movie was going into formal production any time soon. And her answer was certainly encouraging.
Ridley said a major update was “imminent,” and noted that “I might have already seen something... and there might be a date of when we’re... [in] the next stages.”
She also pointed out that “we’re all good,” referencing her relationship with Lucasfilm, apparently, and added, “we’re just out to make a great movie.”
Currently, only one new theatrical Star Wars movie has filmed and is actually scheduled for a legitimately confirmed release date. And that movie is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is expected to hit on May 22, 2026. Beyond that, no new Star Wars film has officially gone into production, even though the Rey movie (directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy) and the Dawn of the Jedi project (directed by James Mangold) were announced by Lucasfilm in 2023.
Since that point, Patty Jenkins has said her canceled Rogue Squadron movie is “back” in talks with Lucasfilm, while the idea of Dave Filoni directing a Star Wars film spun-out of the events of Ahsoka still seems to be on the table, too. Seemingly, of all these projects, the Rey-centric New Jedi Order is the only one that would truly push the franchise forward, into a new era beyond the chronological span of the saga as we know it.
Departing screenwriters are not necessarily a sign that a movie is doomed, either. Famously while writing the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back, acclaimed fantasist Leigh Brackett passed away, which meant George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan completed and revised that particular story.
The point? Star Wars movies can have people leave during the project and the result could end up being amazing. Not all behind-the-scenes changes spell certain doom for the Jedi or the Resistance. It’s natural for hardcore Star Wars fans to be nervous about the development of these things, but based on Daisy Ridley’s totally calm and confident attitude, it’s possible, even likely, that the New Jedi Order will turn out just fine.
