Credit: LucasfilmIt seems the Hollywood star, who found fame as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has boarded a new Disney project.
Daisy Ridley and Star Wars
The Star Wars franchise is brimming with upcoming projects, but clarity on which films will actually hit theaters first is harder to pin down than ever. With Disney and Lucasfilm juggling multiple creative visions, announcements, and shifts in direction, fans are both excited and uncertain about where the saga goes next.
In April 2023, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy set the stage for a new wave of films during Star Wars Celebration Europe. Three projects were officially unveiled, led by James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, while previously teased movies from Shawn Levy and Taika Waititi remained in development. Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron, long believed to be shelved, was also said to be back on track.
Each of these filmmakers brought a unique concept to the table. Mangold’s movie will explore the earliest history of the Force, venturing further back in the timeline than any Star Wars story to date. Filoni’s feature is envisioned as a crossover event uniting storylines from The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, The Book of Boba Fett, and Skeleton Crew.
Then came an unexpected turn. Early in 2024, Lucasfilm confirmed that Jon Favreau would direct The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), a theatrical continuation of Din Djarin and Grogu’s journey. The announcement effectively made the film the finale of The Mandalorian series, with reports suggesting a fourth season is no longer in active development.
That decision created ripple effects across the release slate. Obaid-Chinoy’s movie, set years after Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and featuring Daisy Ridley’s Rey as she rebuilds the Jedi Order, was initially thought to arrive soon after. Two titles—New Jedi Order and A New Beginning—have been linked to the project, but nothing official has been confirmed.
Momentum shifted again on November 7, 2024, when Lucasfilm revealed another major development: Simon Kinberg, best known for producing The Martian (2015) and directing X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019), would launch a brand-new Star Wars trilogy as writer and producer.
“The new story is not meant to be a continuation of the Skywalker Saga, the name of the overall arc of the popular and pop culture-dominating Star Wars movies known as Episodes 1 through 9,” The Hollywood Reporter noted at the time.
“The intent here is to have brand new characters and a new story, and not have it be a continuation, sources tell [THR]. (Although that does not mean that some characters could not or would not pop up.)”
The announcement immediately raised questions about how Kinberg’s trilogy might overlap with Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey-led film. Kennedy later confirmed Kinberg’s work will push the franchise into new territory, signaling a step away from the Skywalker Saga.
“But Rey, the scavenger-turned-Jedi played by Daisy Ridley in the last three episode movies, is key to the franchise’s next turn,” THR reported. “That potentially puts Kinberg’s trilogy story development, as early in its conceptual stages as it may be, on a collision course with the Rey standalone movie that is actively in the works with director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.”
One source told the outlet, “[Rey] is the most valuable cinematic asset, in some ways maybe the only one, Star Wars has right now.” George Nolfi was last reported to be attached as writer, until recent developments shifted things once more.
Valuable she may be, but Disney has reportedly suspended production on the Rey movie, clear by the fast track of both Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu and Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, which arrive in May 2026 and May 2027, respectively.
However, it seems that the pause in production may mean Ridley can jump ship to another Disney franchise.
Daisy Ridley as the “Female Indiana Jones?”
Outside of the Star Wars franchise, the Indiana Jones series is another beloved entity from Lucasfilm. Harrison Ford has headlined the series for decades, and James Mangold helmed the last installment—Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)—two years ago.
But it is not this Indiana Jones that Ridley may be a part of, as reports state she could be taking on the title role in the Disney-acquired Delilah Dirk live-action movie.
“According to Daniel Richtman, Ridley is in negotiations to star in an adaptation of Tony Cliff’s 2013 graphic novel, ‘Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant.’ Disney has held the right to this property since 2016, but there’s been no movement on the project since,” Comic Book Movie wrote.
“Ridley’s character, Delilah, is said to be ‘trained in 47 sword fighting techniques’ and is described as ‘a female Indiana Jones,’ the outlet continued. “Roy Lee, Mark Mower, and Justin Giritlian were attached as producers back in 2016, but we’re not sure if they are still involved.”
What is the Delilah Dirk Series?
The Delilah Dirk franchise, created by Canadian cartoonist Tony Cliff, is a swashbuckling graphic novel series that began as a webcomic before growing into a beloved collection of adventure stories. Set in the early 19th century, the series follows the fearless Delilah Dirk—an expert swordswoman with a knack for globe-trotting exploits—and her reluctant companion, Selim, a Turkish lieutenant who finds himself swept up in her whirlwind adventures.
Across titles like “Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant,” “The King’s Shilling,” and “The Pillars of Hercules,” readers are treated to high-flying escapades complete with pirates, corrupt rulers, and even a flying boat. The series has been celebrated by critics, earning spots on The New York Times bestseller list and a 2012 Eisner nomination, with praise for its vibrant art, quick pacing, and playful spin on the classic adventure genre.
In 2016, Disney announced plans to adapt “Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant” into a live-action film, produced by Roy Lee, Mark Mower, and Justin Giritlian, describing the project as a female-led adventure in the spirit of Indiana Jones. While the announcement sparked excitement, no further updates on the film have been shared since, leaving the adaptation in development limbo.
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