Jon Watts, the director behind Tom Holland's three Spider-Man films, has been tapped by Lucasfilm to direct the first installment of a new Star Wars trilogy, according to reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.
The script comes from Simon Kinberg, the writer-producer known for the X-Men films, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and co-creating the animated series Star Wars Rebels. Kinberg has been developing the trilogy since 2024, and it's reportedly the studio's most advanced Star Wars project behind the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter.
Reports differ slightly on what exactly this new film is. Some outlets describe it as a continuation of the Skywalker Saga - effectively Episode X, picking up after 2019's The Rise of Skywalker - while others frame it as a standalone new saga set in the same galaxy. Daisy Ridley is reportedly expected to return in some capacity as Rey, though how large her role will be remains unclear.
Watts previously worked in the Star Wars universe as co-creator of the Disney+ series Skeleton Crew, making this a return rather than his first trip to a galaxy far, far away. Disney has not yet formally greenlit the project, and no release date, title, or additional cast has been confirmed.
Whatever direction the story takes, it's worth remembering Star Wars has always leaned on a very old story underneath the space battles - light overcoming darkness, and a fallen soul finding his way back through grace. That's part of why the saga still resonates with so many people, generation after generation.
