Lucasfilm is returning to the Skywalker family story, but the move is still an early signal rather than a greenlit production. Deadline confirms that Jon Watts — co-creator of Skeleton Crew and the director behind three Spider-Man films — will helm the first instalment of a new Skywalker Saga trilogy. Simon Kinberg, who co-created Star Wars Rebels and has been developing the trilogy since 2018, is writing.
Daisy Ridley is reportedly being eyed to return as Rey, which would make the new films the next chapter after The Rise of Skywalker. Lucasfilm had no comment.
No greenlight yet
Deadline reports that the project has not received a greenlight from Disney. For the screen business, that distinction matters more than the talent attachment. A director and writer can come aboard years before a studio formally commits production and marketing capital. Kinberg has been developing the story since 2018, so this has been a long runway.
Why the core saga still matters
Since the last Skywalker chapter, Star Wars has expanded across films and streaming series set elsewhere in the onscreen universe. Returning to the Skywalker Saga is a bet on the franchise’s most recognisable asset: the nine-film arc that began with A New Hope in 1977 and closed, for now, with The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
- Talent attachment is an intent signal, not a dated release. It shows direction, not timing.
- Greenlight status determines whether partners should plan around the project at all. Until Disney commits, the slate remains flexible.
- The next confirmed Star Wars film is Star Wars: Starfighter, set for May 28, 2027. That is the hard release marker.
What the move signals
The pattern is familiar in franchise management: attach commercially proven talent, signal possible original-cast return, and let interest build before corporate approval. Jon Watts gives Lucasfilm a director with blockbuster experience. Kinberg knows the Star Wars animation world. Ridley would re-centre the story on Rey just as the franchise has spent years building away from the Skywalker line.
Watts’ Spider-Man background is significant because it shows a track record of managing large franchise expectations, not because it sets a release date. Kinberg’s long development timeline means the creative direction has been underway since 2018. Together, they reduce the creative risk if Disney eventually approves the film.
What to watch next
For our audience, the important number is not a box office figure yet — it is the gap between Kinberg’s 2018 start on the trilogy and the absence of a 2026 greenlight. That gap tells partners how early this is.
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the actionable takeaway is to treat this as a pipeline indicator. Watch for a formal Disney greenlight, a dated release slot and confirmation of Ridley’s casting. Until then, anchor Star Wars budgets and campaign planning to Starfighter on May 28, 2027.
Source: Deadline
