If there is one thing no one wants to touch in Star Wars, it’s whatever the hell the universe is like after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That movie was so poorly received and had such an idiotic ending that Disney has spent the last few years operating in the past, during Episodes I – VI. However, it appears that one man is brave enough to touch the forbidden sands of post-Rey Tatooine. THR is reporting that the upcoming Star Wars movie from Damon Lindelof will take place after The Rise of Skywalker, though it will not be a continuation of the Skywalker Saga.
This news of the project broke recently when Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy came on board to direct the Star Wars movie and it was revealed that Damon Lindelof had been working on a screenplay for the film alongside Justin Britt-Gibson (The Strain, Counterpart). However, as Disney struggles to get its Star Wars movies off the ground, it seems to be taking every step possible to make sure it gets it right. A group of creatives that included newcomers and Star Wars stalwarts got together to hatch the story for this movie earlier this year in a secret two-week-long session, per THR. The film is reportedly a standalone movie, though success could mean sequels. And while not directly connected to previous films, it could feature characters from Episodes VII – IX.
Lindelof may be a bit of a controversial name, but the creator has been behind some of the biggest shows of the past few decades, including Lost, Watchmen, and The Leftovers. Disney is clearly hoping he can bring some of that success in collaboration and story creation to the struggling film side of its prolific franchise. With every other known Star Wars film currently on the sidelines or in long-term production, the studio is probably hoping it can get this out relatively quickly. That would probably mean around December of 2025, when it has its first slotted release date for a currently unannounced Star Wars film.