Lucasfilm has attached “Spider-Man” director Jon Watts to helm the first installment of a new “Star Wars” trilogy, according to multiple reports confirmed by trade outlets Friday. The project, written by Simon Kinberg, is expected to continue the Skywalker Saga in what insiders are calling “Episode X,” picking up the story after 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.”
Watts directed all three of Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man” films for Marvel and Sony, including “Homecoming,” “Far From Home” and “No Way Home,” the latter of which grossed nearly $1.9 billion worldwide. He returns to the “Star Wars” universe after co-creating “Skeleton Crew” in 2024 with screenwriter Christopher Ford, a coming-of-age Disney+ series set during the New Republic era. Watts signed a first-look feature deal with Walt Disney Studios that same year through his production company, Freshman Year, alongside producer Dianne McGunigle.
Kinberg, who previously wrote and co-created “Star Wars Rebels” and penned “X-Men: Dark Phoenix,” has spent several years developing the new trilogy. Daisy Ridley is expected to return as Rey, though reports indicate her role in the first film may be smaller, with the character’s presence potentially expanding across subsequent installments. Lucasfilm is reportedly seeking relatively unknown actors to fill new lead roles, and it remains unclear whether John Boyega or Oscar Isaac will reprise their characters from the sequel trilogy.
The project has not yet been greenlit by Disney, but sources describe it as further along in development than most other “Star Wars” films currently in the pipeline. That distinction reportedly comes at the expense of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s previously announced “New Jedi Order” film, which insiders say has been shelved as Lucasfilm shifts its focus to Kinberg and Watts’ project. Lucasfilm did not respond to requests for comment.
The next “Star Wars” film to reach theaters remains “Starfighter,” directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, which is set for a May 27, 2027 release timed to the franchise’s 50th anniversary. Any film from Watts would follow that release, with production tentatively eyed to begin as early as next year.
