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‘Star Wars’ finds its next director as ‘Spider-Man’ filmmaker takes on new trilogy

‘Star Wars’ is reportedly set to revisit the Skywalker family with its upcoming project

Lucasfilm has found its director for the next ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, and he comes from none other than the ‘Spider-Man’ franchise. According to Deadline, the studio has hired Jon Watts (director of ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’) for the first film in a new Skywalker Saga trilogy written by Simon Kinberg (writer of ‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix’). The news has been building over the last few days. Earlier this week, Knight Edge Media reported that a director had been found, but did not name them. On September 26, the publication reported that two sources stated that Lucasfilm was considering Watts for ‘Episode X’ alone, though this could change.

Watts also directed ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ completing a Tom Holland-led trilogy. Interestingly, he was not on board to return for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ which Destin Daniel Cretton directed. Meanwhile, Watts is not a stranger to a galaxy far, far away. He co-created ‘Skeleton Crew’ with Christopher Ford, and the Disney+ series starred Jude Law as it followed a group of young characters on an adventure in the New Republic era. The upcoming project is reportedly the next chapter of the Skywalker Saga, which revolves around Luke Skywalker’s family. The films in the franchise span from ‘A New Hope’ in 1977 to ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ in 2019, so Watts’s movie would be ‘Episode X.’ Moreover, Kinberg has also co-created the animated series ‘Star Wars Rebels.’

Notably, Rey may also be part of the story. Deadline reports that Daisy Ridley is set to reprise the role. Rey led the sequel trilogy that began with ‘The Force Awakens’ in 2015 and ended with ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ where she took on the name Rey Skywalker. Since its release, the franchise has expanded with films and streaming series set across the ‘Star Wars’ universe. Moreover, another ‘Star Wars’ film is already further along in development. ‘Star Wars: Starfighter,’ directed by Shawn Levy (director of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’), is a standalone adventure, set about five years after ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ according to The Walt Disney Company.

Lucasfilm describes it as a new story with all-new characters, set in a period the franchise has not explored on screen before. The cast includes Ryan Gosling, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Amy Adams. On the other hand, Watts’ project has yet to be officially confirmed by Disney. Deadline reports that Disney has not greenlit the film yet, and no release date has been announced. Until then, fans can look forward to ‘Star Wars: Starfighter,’ which opens in cinemas on May 28, 2027.