The First Jedi represented the initial Star Wars movie in a proposed collection of films that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were slated to direct, as initially revealed by Lucasfilm on February 6, 2018. Nevertheless, on October 28, 2019, news surfaced that Benioff and Weiss had departed from the film series because of timetable clashes. On October 30, Variety indicated that Benioff and Weiss's intentions for the movie series included delving into the genesis of the Jedi. The pair verified on January 10, 2024, that their endeavor centered around examining the origins of the Jedi Order, the motivations behind its formation, and investigating the original lightsaber; they also stated that Lucasfilm ultimately declined the project and demonstrated no interest. They also disclosed during the interview that the film was originally titled The First Jedi, but they dropped the title when their close friend Rian Johnson named his film The Last Jedi.
Even though Benioff and Weiss's project was shelved, a fresh Star Wars film intended to investigate the dawn of the Jedi era was publicized on April 7, 2023, with James Mangold set to direct.