Star Wars will continue the Skywalker Saga with a new instalment directed by Jon Watts.
That’s according to Knight Edge Media and further reporting from Deadline and the Radio Times.
Watts will direct the first in a trilogy written by Simon Kinberg.
The force is strong with this duo
While Lucasfilm and Disney haven’t fully confirmed this is the plan, it certainly seems plausible as the force is strong with Watts and Kinberg.
Kinberg’s involvement in penning this new trilogy has been known for a while, but he’s also known for co-creating the animated series Star Wars Rebels.
He also helmed X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Amazon’s Mr and Mrs Smith.
Watts, who directed the first three Tom Holland Spider-Man films, is also well-versed in stories from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
He co-created and co-wrote the Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, directing the first two episodes.
So Watts is well placed to carry on the baton from 2019’s highly divisive, and kinda naff, The Rise of Skywalker.
It’s expected that Daisy Ridley’s Rey will return from that film for the next instalment.
Whether Watts can survive the Disney/Lucasfilm director culling before production is another matter.
In the past, the likes of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Colin Trevorrow, Patty Jenkins and Taika Waititi have all felt the axe under Disney/Lucasfilm.
The Star Wars franchise is dipping its toe back into film afeter several years focussing on small screen properties.
These efforts began this year with the haphazardly put together The Mandalorian and Grogu and continue next May with Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Shawn Levy.
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