The latest Star Wars gossip claims Disney fired Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the director of Daisy Ridley's untitled Rey Skywalker movie; but are these rumors true?
Following Obaid-Chinoy's comments to Variety that it was time "we had a woman come forward to shape" a Star Wars film, a report claiming her movie had been indefinitely delayed lit up the internet before eventually being debunked.
Now, a new rumor Disney fired the director has surfaced, leading fans to question what is true or not.
Explaining the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Star Wars Rumors
Speculation that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has been dropped from Daisy Ridley's Star Wars movie appears to have stemmed from YouTuber Mike Zeroh who alleged Lucasfilm decided to "fire and remove" the director "in the wake of the Rey movie backlash."
The video also claimed Obaid-Chinoy was removed from additional Lucasfilm and Disney+ projects that have yet to be announced.
In addition to the director's recent Variety comments, 2015 statements from Obaid-Chinoy recently resurfaced on X and, as Forbes noted, were also falsely attributed to her Star Wars movie.
Granted, the announcement of another Rey Star Wars movie was met with mixed reactions at last year's Star Wars Celebration, especially since Star Wars has steered clear of theaters since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker.
However, while online criticism of the director's comments is real, evidence that Disney or Lucasfilm removed her has yet to be seen.
If anything, there is more evidence suggesting that the film is well underway at the studio.
In recent days, Daisy Ridley expressed her excitement for the project to AlloCiné (via Deadline) saying, "I knew it was something I really wanted to do:"
“So I thought about it for a little bit, and once I knew what the story was and everything, I knew it was something I really wanted to do. I think it’s a really fantastic exploration of the Star Wars world. It’s a really cool way of taking the story on in a bit of a different direction.”
In addition, Lucasfilm contradicted the rumor of the film being indefinitely delayed, telling Gizmodo the report was inaccurate and the studio was actively awaiting writer Steven Knight's next draft.
What Lucasfilm Should Do About Daisy Ridley's Star Wars Movie
While there is little actual circumstantial evidence that Lucasfilm is considering firing Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, unfortunately, it is true that the studio is not afraid to drop a director at will.
It is also worth noting that the development of Daisy Ridley's Rey Skywalker movie has not been drama-free.
On the eve of the film's announcement, writer Damon Lindelof "was asked to leave [the project]," leading Lucasfilm to bring on Steven Knight to pen the script, which was followed by the film seemingly being delayed to 2026.
Now, while the 2023 strikes were likely the cause, Lucasfilm's sudden announcement of Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian and Grogu raised eyebrows, especially since it is now being described as the first Star Wars movie to return to theaters.
Due to Lucasfilm's longstanding history with directors and the Rey project's troubled track record, rumors of a distressed production are not unexpected.
Therefore, if they are inaccurate, Lucasfilm should do more to defend its creatives like Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and forgo relying on other outlets to silence speculators.
A simple statement from Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy could put these rumors to rest days ago and allowed Obaid-Chinoy, as well as Daisy Ridley, to move forward without distractions.
But that's not all. Lucasfilm needs to not only be committed and supportive of its talent but also quality products.
Good stories have the power to change hearts and minds, but messages and milestones will always be undercut by mismanaged projects, studio interference, and ignoring the basic storytelling rule: show, don't tell.
The untitled Daisy Ridley Star Wars movie is currently expected to debut May 22, 2026.
