On the Race for King in the ‘Star Wars’ Movies and the Future of the Franchise on the Big Screen

Times of discover News: Following the November 7 announcement that Simon Kinberg has signed on to create, write and produce a new Star Wars trilogy for Lucasfilm and Disney, debate has centered on whether or not it will be a continuation of the so-called nine-film Skywalker Saga that will link the stories of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and more first postulated by George Lucas in 1977. The debate is fueled by the new trilogy, which King is expected to feature in some form.

Some fans have expressed criticism that Lucasfilm will return to making "episodes" beyond the nine films that tie into the Skywalker story, which culminated in 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. That film grossed $1.077 billion globally but was not well received by fans (it received a B+ rating from the public in a CinemaScore poll and a 51 percent rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes).

But the role of Rey, the Jedi from the trash played by Daisy Ridley in the last three episodic films, is the key to the franchise's next turn. It potentially puts Kinberg's trilogy story development, in its conceptual stage, on a collision course with Rey's independent film, which director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is actively working on.

The feature, which will premiere at Star Wars Celebration in London in January 2023, is set to star Ridley and could have already been in production if it weren't for some unforeseen obstacles, including the writers' R2-D2 Chrome Dome, who was hanging out somewhere a lot. The search for a new writer is ongoing, so it's unclear when he'll be leaving.

That's probably why Lucasfilm welcomed Kinberg's multi-story release. Anything that moves Rey forward. However, this has sparked rumors in the Star Wars underground that filmmakers were trying out for roles. (Ridley recently told The Hollywood Reporter, "I think new characters would be very interesting. Time has passed and a lot of things have changed for me personally, so it would be interesting to go back to someone who was 'Who' I was. I know that's fine, but in a different era.")

While insiders disagree with the notion that there's a fight for Rey, there are certainly internal discussions going on within Lucasfilm about what to do next with Skywalker's heir. "This is the most valuable film property, in some ways maybe the only property that Star Wars has," a source close to the franchise told THR. (Pedro Pascal's The Mandalorian and the Yoda-like Grogu are Disney+ creations and will test their might on the big screen in a feature directed by Jon Favreau that will be released in 2026.)

According to sources, Rey is set to play a role in several films in the pipeline, though which ones have yet to be revealed.

After focusing on the Star Wars movies for years, Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy has been criticized for not creating meaningful characters beyond those Lucas created before selling the franchise to Disney for $4 billion in 2012. This must be addressed. And if the franchise looks further into its canon timeline, all of the beloved characters — Luke, Leia, Vader, Obi-Wan, Yoda and Han — are either dead or have their stories wrapped up in prequels or spinoffs. King, the company created in the post-Lucas era, is arguably the only entity with big-screen currency at the moment. "The closet is a little empty," another source said. Kinberg's appointment underscores that the company's film development is still its own unique ecosystem in Hollywood. There are multiple Star Wars films in development that are connected by characters or timelines. They're not connected, but whatever comes first could affect the movies that follow in a domino effect. (James Mangold's "Dawn of the Jedi" movie, which long predates Skywalkers, may be one of the exceptions).

Some Lucasfilm executives know what others are working on while others don't. For example, Taika Waititi is working on a Star Wars movie, Shawn Levy has a feature project and Donald Glover's idea for Lando has moved from development to a Lucasfilm film. Also a Rogue Squadron project is still in development as a feature.

"It's a different way to grow," said another insider with knowledge of how the company works. "There's a lot of parallel work going on."

This also reflects the unique nature of Star Wars. For fans, and for that matter for filmmakers and producers, it's not a brand or a franchise, but more akin to a religion. Unlike Marvel or DC, whose stories span decades, or even Harry Potter, which spans seven massive books, Star Wars is essentially the original George Lucas movies. And today, there is nothing more codified or canonical than those three films. Filmmakers and executives