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Credit: LucasfilmAfter years of relative silence, we may finally have some updates on Rey’s Star Wars return.
First announced at Star Wars Celebration in 2023, the untitled Rey film was pitched as a new post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) chapter, with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attached to direct and Daisy Ridley set to reprise her role as Rey.
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Since then, the project has become another symbol of Lucasfilm’s unstable theatrical slate. The film has reportedly cycled through multiple writers, including Damon Lindelof, Justin Britt-Gibson, Steven Knight, and now George Nolfi, while Lucasfilm has offered little concrete movement.
Now, however, a few scattered updates suggest the force may finally be stirring.
Rey’s ‘Star Wars’ Movie May Finally Be Moving Again
Over the past few weeks, several developments have fueled speculation that Lucasfilm is quietly preparing to revisit the sequel trilogy era.
The first involves John Boyega. During a recent MEGACON Orlando appearance, the Finn actor was asked about a possible Star Wars return. When a fan shouted for him to “get Dave [Filoni] on the phone,” Boyega replied, “I actually have, actually.”
That is not confirmation of Finn’s return. It is, however, significant. Boyega has been openly critical of how Disney handled Finn after Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), particularly as the character’s Jedi setup faded across the trilogy. His willingness to speak with Filoni suggests that Lucasfilm’s new leadership may be reopening conversations that previously seemed unlikely.
Then came Daisy Ridley. Earlier this month, it emerged that Gemma Arterton would replace Ridley in the upcoming MMA drama Killa Bee, which is reportedly due to begin filming in the U.K. later this month.
While casting updates are relatively commonplace in the industry – for example, Pedro Pascal was previously attached to Weapons (2025) before he had to drop out due to his commitments to last year’s Fantastic Four: The First Steps – the timing has not gone unnoticed by fans already watching for signs of movement on the Rey film.
Adding fuel to the theory, casting director Nina Gold recently posted a call for two children — a boy aged 12 to 14 and a girl aged 9 to 10 — for an untitled feature film shooting in the U.K. at the end of May.
Daisy Ridley just recently dropped out of her previous signed project which will film at the end of MAY. The casting call which agency insisted to be Star Wars film begins filming at the end of MAY… ?? Coincidence?? 👀 #starwars #daisyridley #rey #trilogy
Daisy Ridley just recently dropped out of her previous signed project which will film at the end of MAY. The casting call which agency insisted to be Star Wars film begins filming at the end of MAY… ?? Coincidence?? 👀 #starwars #daisyridley #rey #trilogy pic.twitter.com/vxQ5RGcjT0
— sunshine supremacy (@callamdenot) May 13, 2026
Gold has previously cast Star Wars projects, though there is no official confirmation that this casting call is tied to Lucasfilm. The notice only describes the roles as “small but very important” parts in a new feature film.
Still, the overlap is enough to spark speculation.
Lucasfilm has also recently offered a fresh explanation for Rey’s controversial decision to take the Skywalker name at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. In The Secrets of the Jedi: The Chronicles of Luke Skywalker, Rey frames the name as a tribute to Luke’s life, sacrifice, and legacy.
If the movie follows Rey building a new Jedi Order, Lucasfilm may be trying to smooth out one of the sequel trilogy’s most divisive choices before moving forward.
RELATED: Daisy Ridley Admits That She Thought She “Ruined Star Wars” as Rey
What This Could Mean for Lucasfilm
None of this proves that cameras are about to roll on Rey’s standalone movie. Ridley herself poured cold water on expectations earlier this year. Asked by USA Today if fans should expect news in 2026, she said, “I don’t know about 2026. In the future sometime, yeah.”
That remains the clearest public comment from the actor. It also suggests fans should be careful not to treat every casting notice or scheduling change as confirmation.
Still, the timing is interesting. Lucasfilm has entered a new era, with Kathleen Kennedy stepping down after more than a decade and Dave Filoni taking over creative leadership alongside Lynwen Brennan.
That shift could matter. Kennedy’s Lucasfilm announced plenty of Star Wars movies that never materialized. Under Filoni and Brennan, the studio may be trying to move more decisively, particularly as The Mandalorian and Grogu prepares to return the franchise to theaters later this month.
The sequel trilogy also remains unfinished business. Adam Driver revealed last year that he spent roughly two years developing The Hunt for Ben Solo with Steven Soderbergh, only for Disney to reject the project despite Lucasfilm’s interest.
Fans pushed for the movie to be revived, with the backlash even seeing a plane flown over Disney’s Burbank studios with a banner reading “Save ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo.’”
For all the discourse around the sequels, there is clearly still an appetite for Rey, Finn, Ben Solo, and other unresolved corners of that era.
Maybe Lucasfilm is listening, maybe it is coincidence. But after years of silence, rewrites, and vague reassurances, the sequel era suddenly feels less abandoned than it did a month ago.
When do you think we’ll finally see Rey return to Star Wars?
