Spider-Man Director Jon Watts’ Star Wars Series Receives Exciting Update

By Sam Hargrave Updated:
Spider-Man, Star Wars

In the wake of the controversial sequel trilogy, Lucasfilm pushed ahead with a wide variety of Star Wars streaming series across the saga. The Mandalorian kickstarted Lucasfilm's exploration of the post-Return of the Jedi era, something which is now expanding with The Book of Boba FettAhsoka, and Rangers of the New Republic. That's not to say that's the only era Lucasfilm will be taking to Disney+, with Obi-Wan Kenobi following the prequel trilogy, and The Acolyte taking the first live-action dip into The High Republic. The Star Wars franchise will even bring on talent from Marvel Studios, with Spider-Man's Jon Watts and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige working on projects for the galaxy far, far away.

Lucasfilm has brought onboard some A-list talent both in front and behind the camera for Disney+ before. Iron Man director Jon Favreau has sat at the helm of the entire MandoVerse and has played an integral role in the success of the two series released to date, but there's plenty more to come.

As for Watts' Star Wars project, details remain foggy for now. With the filmmaker having just recently stepped away from Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot, his venture into the galaxy far, far away just received an exciting update.

Spider-Man Director Joins the Star Wars Universe

Vanity Fair offered an exciting update on the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ series from Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts, operating under the working title of Grammar Rodeo.

The series - which will take place in the post-original/pre-sequel trilogy era after Return of the Jedi - has sent out a casting notice for four child actors aged 11 to 12 years old. The Star Wars show will be inspired by the classic '80s coming-of-age adventures that came out of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment.

Watts will serve as creator and executive producer on the project alongside Spider-Man: Homecoming writer Chris Ford penning the script.

From Marvel to Star Wars

Up until now, the Grammar Rodeo project had been reported to take place during The High Republic. So, it's intriguing to see that not only will it join The Mandalorian in the post-Return of the Jedi era, but will also come from Spider-Man: No Way Home's Jon Watts.

The director has already demonstrated his ability to handle a coming-of-age tale with his highly-successful Spider-Man trilogy - which saw Tom Holland's Peter Parker grow up through high school to become an adult hero and a true Avenger.

With Watts having just stepped away from Fantastic Four, his availability is looking far more open for the foreseeable future. Currently, Watts has an untitled film in the works with George Clooney and Brad Pitt and is expected to return to Marvel for a fourth Spider-Man outing with Holland.

Since Spider-Man 4 appears to still be years down the line, chances are his Star Wars series will slot between his Clooney/Pitt blockbuster and his Marvel comeback. As of now, it's unclear whether Watts will also tackle directing duties or if he will be sticking to a more executive or producer role.

Watts' Star Wars series has yet to receive a grand announcement or title, but perhaps that may come later in the year at Star Wars Celebration or the highly-anticipated D23 event.

- In This Article: Spider-Man: No Way Home
Release Date
December 17, 2021
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Sam Hargrave
Sam Hargrave is the Associate Editor at The Direct. He joined the team as a gaming writer in 2020 before later expanding into writing for all areas of The Direct and taking on further responsibilities such as editorial tasks and image creation.