Guess who’s back, back again? Rey is back, tell a friend!
That’s right, fellow Stars Wars nerds, everyone’s favorite (or least favorite, depending on who you’re asking) orphan Jedi will be gracing us with her presence on the big screen in a new film titled Star Wars: New Jedi Order. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was joined on stage at Star Wars Celebration by Daisy Ridley as Kennedy announced the follow-up to Episodes 7 through 9.
What is Star Wars: New Jedi Order about?
The film will take place after the tragic events in Rise of Skywalker and follow Rey as she begins to rebuild the Jedi Order, hence the clever title. This film is quite the risky move for Disney/Lucasfilm as it’s the first project to take place outside of the Skywalker Saga and explore uncharted territory without having to rely on nostalgia. All the ties to the past films in the franchise —namely Luke, Han, and Leia— have all passed on, though it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see Mark Hamil return as Force ghost Luke. Still, this film will rest squarely on Rey’s shoulders as she brings the old and new generations of Stars Wars fans into a brand new era. No other cast members have been announced just yet, but we’re hoping the terrific trio of Ridley, Oscar Isaac, and John Boyega will ride together again.
Why is Ridley’s involvement a big deal?
Though we know very little about the entire plot of New Jedi Order, it will be incredibly exciting to see Daisy Ridley back in the Star Wars universe regardless. After the horrific backlash against Rise of Skywalker, it was unclear whether Ridley would want to subject herself to the claws of this fanbase again. From her first appearance in The Force Awakens, Ridley’s character had been branded a “Mary Sue” and was constantly berated for being “good at everything without even trying.” Some Star Wars fans didn’t want to give Rey a chance to be a complex character and Ridley suffered the sharp end of the stick for three movies.
However, I’m hoping this time will be different as there will be no Skywalker lore hanging over Ridley or Rey’s heads. Rey can be her own character with her own wants and desires, and Ridley won’t have to be beholden to a decades long arc that she can’t measure up to for some fans. It’s a win-win.
Who else is in Star Wars: New Jedi Order?
That is one of many things we don’t yet know about the upcoming film, but it would be nice to maybe see a few of Rey’s friends again. While John Boyega has made it clear he’s not interested in returning to Star Wars anytime soon, there are other characters who could make a return. In the meantime, we do know that New Jedi Order is being directed by Oscar-winner and Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy from a script by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
When will Star Wars: New Jedi Order be released?
At this time, Lucasfilm has not set a release date or a start date for filming. According to ScreenRant, the next available date in Disney’s release schedule is December 19, 2025, but they noted other potential dates for the film could be December 17, 2027, and December 21, 2029. This may seem like a huge reach when it comes to release dates, but a 2025 release year could be too short of a time between Star Wars films as Rise of Skywalker came out in 2019. Other Star Wars media are debuting/will debut between now and 2025, but no movies will, which is a pretty big deal.
Plus, if Lucasfilm and Disney decide to wait a little longer, it would give the film’s writers more time to perfect this new, uncharted territory and give the fans more time to get HYPED!
No matter when this movie is released, I think I can speak for all Star Wars fans when I saw that we’re just glad to see Daisy Ridley don the Jedi robes once again!
(featured: Lucasfilm/Disney)
