The Mandalorian and Grogu wasn't the box office hit Disney and Lucasfilm expected. Now, all eyes will be on next summer's Star Wars: Starfighter to see if Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling can dispel the notion that Star Wars is a streaming property.
Starfighter will also be the final Star Wars project developed by former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. Dave Filoni has since been appointed the studio's co-President, and no doubt has a vastly different vision for this Galaxy Far, Far Away.
The Hollywood Reporter (via SFFGazette.com) has confirmed that Spider-Man franchise director Jon Watts has been tapped to helm the first instalment of Star Wars Rebels and X-Men: Days of Future Past writer Simon Kinberg's new trilogy. Knight Edge Media was the first to reveal Watts' involvement with Episode X.
The trade has also learned that this movie will be Episode X of the Skywalker Saga, and not a completely unrelated trilogy. At exactly what point in the timeline it's set isn't clear, but it's said that Rey "would appear in some capacity in the new trilogy."
The decision to end The Rise of Skywalker with the reveal that Rey had named herself "Rey Skywalker" didn't land well, so it will be interesting to see whether we somehow meet any new members of the original Skywalker bloodline. It makes sense for Rey's story to continue here, especially since her solo outing, first announced in 2023, has yet to materialise after burning through multiple writers.
Will Episode X become a reality on Filoni's watch? "Sources say the project is still in development and has not yet been greenlit by parent company Disney," the report notes, "although it seems to be project the furthest along the development track after Starfighter."
Watts is no stranger to Star Wars. He developed and directed episodes of Disney+'s Skeleton Crew, which holds a 92% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The filmmaker also has blockbuster experience, having helmed Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home for Marvel Studios.
Promoting Skeleton Crew, Watts said, "I mean, I love 'Star Wars.' I’d love to do anything in the 'Star Wars' universe, and I think we set it up in a way where the story can continue in a lot of interesting ways."
Kinberg's track record isn't quite as good. He wrote the Oscar-nominated Ridley Scott film The Martian, but is also responsible for duds like X-Men: The Last Stand, Fantastic Four, and Dark Phoenix.
Stay tuned for updates on Star Wars Episode X as we have them.