The long-gestating Star Wars movie that’s set to bring back Daisy Ridley and focus on Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order has had more than a few snags in the past couple of years. First announced in 2023, the project initially had Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson attached to write it before they were replaced by Steven Knight. However, Knight dropped out in Oct. 2024, and now writer/director George Nolfi (Elevation, The Bourne Ultimatum) has been brought in to pen the screenplay, which could spell good news for Star Wars fans, as he seems to have a firm grasp on the mythology first created by George Lucas.
Speaking with Film Stories about his latest horror flick, Elevation, the subject of Star Wars was just too tempting to avoid, and as such, Nolfi was asked what he could share about the project. Set to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Nolfi says that for his version of a Rey movie – tentatively titled New Jedi Order – he’s looking to try and appease everyone, while at the same time honoring Star Wars‘ storied legacy.
“The way I approach it is, you look at what’s come before you, you look at the broad ideas of what they want to do. Meaning: Lucasfilm, Disney, Sharmeen [Obaid-Chinoy], the director, and then you do what a writer does, and try to try and put beats of a story together. Try and imagine characters, and then you present that with an understanding that it needs to honor, obviously, a long, incredible tradition.”
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That being said, Nolfi – who studied philosophy and politics – also mentioned that when it comes to New Jedi Order, Lucas’ original themes of rebellion and fascism could make their way into his screenplay. According to him, the six films that Lucas made before handing the baton to Disney are “very steeped in broad notions of politics,” something that interests the screenwriter a great deal. “It’s not talking about today, per se, but there’s the Empire’s Nazism slash Roman Empire,” he said, adding:
“The democracy of the Roman Empire collapsing and becoming an empire and the perennial story of human beings organizing themselves and against chaos, and then the tools that help human societies tamp down on chaos becomes oppression.
“So that is really very core to what I think George Lucas was trying to talk about. And one of the wonderful things about science fiction and Star Wars – which is more almost science fantasy or space opera – is that you can raise the deepest issues without it feeling like a philosophy class, or a political science class, or something I read in the newspaper today.”
When Will ‘New Jedi Order’ Be Released?
While it appears as if things for New Jedi Order are back on track in terms of the creative process, its release date is another matter entirely. Disney has two dates reserved for a couple of upcoming Star Wars projects: Dec. 18, 2026, and Dec. 17, 2027, with the former speculated to be the release of the new Rey movie. However, that was never set in stone, so considering the script isn’t even finished yet, the project might not start filming until late this year. When you take into consideration the massive amount of post-production Star Wars films need, it’s entirely possible that we might not see New Jedi Order until 2027.
Fans can at least take comfort in knowing that even though the return of Ridley is still a long way off, The Mandalorian & Grogu is set to grace theaters on May 22, 2026, making it the first theatrical release for a Star Wars project in seven years. As we await the release of that one, you can check out the entirety of a galaxy far, far away on Disney+.
