Not only is Star Wars returning to theaters but so is Daisy Ridley as Rey, leading fans to question what Lucasfilm's next Star Wars story involves and when it will release.
At Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm confirmed Daisy Ridley's return following 2019's The Rise of Skywalker in a new Jedi Order film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
Now that several news-filled months have passed since the announcement first made headlines, here's what to know and expect from Rey Skywalker's post-sequel trilogy Star Wars movie.
Is Daisy Ridley's Star Wars Movie Delayed?
Among the three new Star Wars movies announced during Celebration, Daisy Ridley's comeback was expected to debut first and claim the December 19, 2025 slot.
However, Lucasfilm's big-screen news was announced before the recent Hollywood strikes which largely halted the industry.
In fact, in the wake of the WGA strike and before the start of SAG-AFTRA, the movie was reportedly delayed from December 2025 to May 22, 2026.
A June report then suggested a potential April 2024 production start date.
Whether the actors' strike, which began in July, has (or will?) lead to further delays is unknown.
Still, Hollywood's current standstill state isn't the only setback Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's project has weathered thus far.
Writer Damon Lindelof "was asked to leave" on the eve of the movie's announcement, claiming that the new movie will still happen, "but unfortunately not with [him]."
Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight was brought on board to rewrite the script and, according to Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy in April, would be turning in a script "in the next month and a half."
How much he was able to accomplish between then and the start of the strikes in May is unknown.
However, since Daisy Ridley and Obaid-Chiony's film was in development first, it remains the top contender to be the next Star Wars movie in theaters.
When Will Daisy Ridley's Star Wars Movie Release?
The last reported release date for Star Wars' new Jedi Order movie was May 22, 2026.
But again, since this date was reported before the SAG-AFTRA strike, it should be treated as more of a placeholder than a guarantee.
Still, since the writers' strike is over, and if the actors' strike ends soon, there's a chance the film could keep to its May 2026 debut if casting and scheduling don't interfere.
If not, it's worth noting that Star Wars has also claimed a December 18, 2026 theatrical slot, and another in December 2027, which it could be eventually moved to.
What To Expect From Daisy Ridey's Star Wars Movie
Damon Lindelof's scrapped pitch for the film was supposedly set "60 years after Rise of Skywalker" and followed "an older Rey."
But since the writer's departure, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy confirmed the film's new story picks up only "15 years" after Episode IX where "the Jedi are in disarray:"
“Well we’re 15 years out from ‘Rise of Skywalker,’ so we’re post-war, post-First Order, and the Jedi are in disarray."
Just who these other Jedi are is unknown, but there have been rumors of John Boyega's return as Finn and finally making good on his Force sensitivity.
Kathleen Kennedy also revealed that Daisy Ridley's Rey will be "attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order" based on the sacred Jedi texts Luke Skywalker collected.
“There’s a lot of discussion around, ‘Who are the Jedi? What are they doing? What’s the state of the galaxy?’ She’s attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order, based on the books, based on what she promised Luke, so that’s where we’re going.”
Just what this new Jedi order will look like and how closely it resembles the former is one of the movie's biggest questions.
However, Kennedy noted a new order - coupled with a brand-new time period - will allow the franchise to "start with something fresh:"
"And I think it offers just tremendous opportunity to introduce new characters and start with something fresh, because we culminated with what George [Lucas] was creating, and now we take all of that and move it to the next chapter."
Star Wars fans should expect to hear more about this upcoming film once an agreement is reached between the studios and the SAG-AFTRA, especially if Lucasfilm is eager to get Daisy Ridley's film underway.
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