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Credit: LucasfilmDisney is finally getting serious about the next chapter of Star Wars, with a new sequel trilogy continuing to move forward behind the scenes.
The franchise has spent much of the past several years struggling to establish a clear theatrical future following the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, with numerous projects announced only to be delayed, reworked, or quietly disappear. Now, as Lucasfilm prepares for a new era under different leadership, Simon Kinberg’s planned trilogy could become one of the studio’s most important attempts yet to determine where the galaxy far, far away goes next.
The timing is particularly notable because Lucasfilm itself is undergoing a major transition. Kathleen Kennedy, who led the studio through Disney’s Star Wars era, has stepped down as president, with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan taking over different aspects of the company’s operations. Filoni continues to have a major creative role, while Brennan will oversee the business side, leaving the franchise in the hands of a leadership team tasked with navigating a theatrical slate that remains considerably less defined than Disney would likely prefer.
The Future of Star Wars Remains Unclear
The franchise returned to movie theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), while Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled to follow in 2027. Beyond those films, however, Lucasfilm has several other projects that have spent considerable time in development (since pre-2023, no doubt) without reaching the screen. James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi remains in the mix, while Filoni has been developing a feature-length continuation of the interconnected stories established through The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and other Disney+ series.
That uncertainty makes Kinberg’s project especially interesting. Rather than continuing the Skywalker family story directly, the new trilogy is intended to take the franchise further into the future following the events of Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019). The intention is reportedly to establish a new chapter with new characters, allowing Lucasfilm to move beyond the nine-film Skywalker Saga that dominated the franchise for decades.
Getting to that point, however, has apparently been anything but straightforward. Kinberg has already spent considerable time developing the story, with an earlier version of his work reportedly going through the Lucasfilm process before being deemed not ready. Rather than simply shelving the project, the filmmaker continued developing the concept, eventually putting together a substantial treatment that reportedly ran approximately 70 pages. A further screenplay draft was expected to follow, suggesting that the project has continued to receive attention despite the relatively small amount of information Lucasfilm has released publicly.
Rey Could Still Complicate the New Trilogy
One of the biggest questions surrounding Kinberg’s plans is what they could mean for Daisy Ridley’s Rey. The character remains attached to a separate movie that would follow Rey after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, with the former sequel-trilogy protagonist attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order in the aftermath of the First Order’s defeat. That project, commonly referred to as New Jedi Order, has also spent years navigating the development process, leaving its eventual place within Lucasfilm’s plans uncertain.
Lucasfilm has not confirmed that Rey will be folded into Kinberg’s trilogy, and there has been no official announcement that her previously reported movie has been canceled. Nevertheless, the two projects occupy similar territory by looking beyond the Skywalker Saga, which naturally raises questions about whether Lucasfilm could eventually connect their stories or alter its plans for Rey as the studio establishes its next major cinematic era.
For now, Kinberg’s trilogy appears to be developing independently, although the changing leadership at Lucasfilm could have a significant impact on how all of these projects ultimately fit together. The studio has spent years attempting to balance familiar characters with the need to expand Star Wars beyond the Skywalker family, and the new trilogy represents an opportunity to establish an entirely different foundation for the franchise’s theatrical future.
Kinberg himself has offered few details about what audiences can expect, but a recent social media post provided a small indication that his connection to Lucasfilm remains active. The filmmaker shared a photograph taken at Skywalker Ranch, including a view of Lake Ewok. The image did not contain a story announcement, casting reveal, release date, or any specific information about the trilogy, so it should not be treated as confirmation of anything happening within the movies themselves. Still, his continued presence at the home of Lucasfilm is notable given how little has been publicly revealed about the project.
New Information Confirmed for Star Wars: Episode X
Jon Watts is heading back to a galaxy far, far away, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, his return could shape the future of the Skywalker Saga.
The outlet reports that while Lucasfilm is deep in post-production on Star Wars: Starfighter, “the next phase of a potential new Skywalker Saga is coming into focus.” Watts is now attached to direct the first installment of a trilogy penned by Simon Kinberg, with Knight Edge Media first breaking the news.
Kinberg has been writing the mystery trilogy since late 2024. According to THR, “The project is intended to act as the next chapter in what is referred to as the Skywalker Saga, the stories featuring the multi-generations of the Luke Skywalker family.” That would make the first film Episode X, and Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker “would appear in some capacity in the new trilogy.”
The film isn’t a done deal yet. Sources told the outlet the project “is still in development and has not yet been greenlit by parent company Disney,” though it appears to be “the furthest along the development track after Starfighter.” Lucasfilm had no comment.
Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, is expected in theaters on May 27, 2027, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, which debuted in the United States on May 25, 1977.
THR describes Watts as “a reliable choice for the franchise,” pointing to his run on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films, Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home, where “Watts proved he could navigate the complexities of massive big-budget productions.”
He also co-created and co-wrote Skeleton Crew, which THR called “the well-regarded but unfortunately not greatly seen series that starred Jude Law and brought an Amblin vibe to the Star Wars universe.” Watts directed two of its episodes.
Disney Has Plenty to Prove With Star Wars
The studio has no shortage of ideas, but turning those announcements into completed movies has proved to be one of its biggest challenges in recent years.
Kinberg’s trilogy, therefore, remains a project worth watching, particularly because it could ultimately become the foundation for a completely new era of theatrical Star Wars. There is still no confirmed release date, casting announcement, or indication of exactly when audiences will see the first movie, but the continued development of the story suggests Lucasfilm has not forgotten about its ambitious plans for the franchise’s post-Skywalker future.
So, following the 2023 announcements at Star Wars Celebration (which included the aforementioned three movies from Mangold, Obaid-Chinoy, and Filoni), it seems very clear that these projects are somewhat buried as Disney moves forward with other priorities. Since their announcement, Lucasfilm has pivoted to The Mandalorian and Grogu, next year’s Starfighter, and now what is likely to be Episode X — all projects revealed after 2023 that have now replaced those announced at Celebration.
As the studio moves into a new leadership era, the question is no longer simply whether Star Wars will return to theaters, but what kind of galaxy audiences will find when it does.
What direction do you think Lucasfilm will go in with Star Wars: Episode X? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
