Untitled Star Wars film (Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy)

Set fifteen years after the Battle of Exegol, during the New Jedi Order Era, Jedi Master Rey Skywalker is in the process of creating a new Jedi Order. However, her efforts face opposition from emerging forces that seek the destruction of this new Order.

On March 14, 2022, The Ankler initially broke the news that Damon Lindelof was contributing as a writer to a new Star Wars movie. Later, on May 26, at Celebration Anaheim, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy verified that the upcoming Star Wars films would be situated after the events of the sequel trilogy, stating, "we frequently discuss the sequel era in relation to the direction of our movies and how far beyond it we might venture. That's the area we're primarily focused on." Then, on October 23, Deadline reported that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy had joined the project as the director of Lindelof's script. The following day, October 24, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Justin Britt-Gibson had partnered with Lindelof as a co-writer after Lucasfilm conducted a "secret writers room" in July involving various creative individuals for two weeks. The report also indicated that the project would be set following the events of Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker.

On December 2, Daisy Ridley paid a visit to Lucasfilm headquarters for a meeting with Kathleen Kennedy. Despite Ridley's initial denial on social media about the meeting's connection to future projects, she subsequently acknowledged in a November 2023 Hollywood Reporter interview that she had been offered a role in the film during that meeting. Ridley initially believed the meeting would be a simple breakfast, but Kennedy presented the offer during their conversation. After considering the concept and learning about the planned storyline, Ridley concluded that the film was something she wanted to participate in.

On March 22, 2023, Variety reported that Lindelof and Britt-Gibson had left the project a month earlier in February and that Steven Knight had been brought in to rewrite the story. On April 18, Lindelof officially addressed his departure from the project, describing it as a "true labor of love." He also extended his best wishes to the film's creative team. On April 28, Lindelof further explained that he had worked extensively on the project and was then asked to step away.

At Celebration Europe on April 7, 2023, Lucasfilm officially confirmed much of the previously reported information. Alongside the announcement of two other films, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was officially confirmed as the director, and the project was confirmed to be set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Furthermore, Daisy Ridley was formally announced to be returning to her role as Rey Skywalker in the film and made an appearance on stage. In a post-panel interview, Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that the film had been in development for several years and that Steven Knight was in the process of writing the current version of the script, which was expected to be submitted within six weeks. The positive reaction to her return deeply moved and touched Ridley.

On April 13, This Week! in Star Wars verified that the film would be set fifteen years after The Rise of Skywalker. On April 20, Obaid-Chinoy revealed that the film would be the next Star Wars film to be released. On November 21, in an interview with Collider, Daisy Ridley shared her thoughts that the film's story was "really cool" and that it deviated from her expectations, but she expressed great excitement about working on it. Ridley also disclosed that she wasn't approached for a role in the film until after February 2023.

As of January 2024, confirmed on January 16, Lucasfilm affirmed that the film remained in development and that they were awaiting the latest draft from Steven Knight. Indeed, Ridley herself mentioned in an interview published on January 12 that she was thrilled to revisit the Star Wars universe, describing the upcoming film as a compelling exploration and a fascinating continuation of the universe. She further noted in an interview with Variety, published on January 24, that Sharmeen had provided her with a comprehensive overview of the entire story, which played a significant role in convincing her to join the project; according to Ridley, Sharmeen's concept was "cool as shit" and "worthwhile." In response to a question about how Sharmeen's position as the first female Star Wars director would impact the series, Ridley admitted that she didn't know the answer but expressed her enthusiasm for collaborating with someone whose documentaries and story pitch she admired. When asked about her sequel trilogy co-stars Adam Driver, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac, she also noted that she did not know "what or who is who" in the film.

As pointed out by Inverse, Ridley also didn't dismiss the possibility of returning to Star Wars in a future sequel. Ridley discussed her positive feelings about returning to Star Wars with Collider on January 31, 2024. In October of 2024, Puck News and Variety reported that Steven Knight had left the project, with Deadline adding that Lucasfilm was actively searching for new writers. Nevertheless, Ridley stated on an October 25th episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast that news about the film was coming soon, even hinting that she had already seen something about its next stages, and told USA Today on November 4 that Rey's future was exciting and forthcoming. On January 24, 2025, The Hollywood Reporter announced that George Nolfi had joined the film as the fourth writer involved in the project, and Ridley shared the article's title on her Instagram page. Nolfi confirmed his involvement in the film on February 3 in an interview with Film Stories.

On April 20, 2023, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy announced that this would be "the next Star Wars film." However, on January 9, 2024, it was announced that The Mandalorian and Grogu would actually be the next film to be released.