Jon Watts Tapped to Direct First Film in New Star Wars Skywalker Trilogy

Lucasfilm has attached director Jon Watts to helm the first installment of a new Star Wars trilogy written by Simon Kinberg, according to multiple trade reports. The project is expected to continue the Skywalker Saga as Episode X, picking up the story after 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Lucasfilm has not officially announced the hiring, and the project has not yet been greenlit by Disney.

Watts Returns to Star Wars

Watts is best known for directing the three Tom Holland Spider-Man films: Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home. He previously worked in the Star Wars universe as co-creator of the Disney+ series Skeleton Crew, which was released in 2024. Watts also directed two episodes of that series.

A New Skywalker Trilogy

Simon Kinberg has been developing the trilogy since late 2024, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Kinberg co-created Star Wars Rebels with Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck and wrote several episodes of the animated series. He also wrote several X-Men films, including Days of Future Past and Dark Phoenix.

Kinberg previously spoke about his enthusiasm for the project. ‘It’s not even a dream come true—I couldn’t have dreamed it,’ Kinberg said. ‘Just to be told there’d be more movies would have been unbelievable. To be allowed on the set of any of them was already a dream. My enthusiasm only grows with working on and around it.’ He added, ‘There’s a ton of wildly talented folks that want to do great work. I was super inspired and just sort of awestruck by what Tony Gilroy did with Andor. I thought that was about as good of science fiction storytelling as you can do in any franchise.’

Rey Skywalker’s Role and Casting

Daisy Ridley is expected to return as Rey Skywalker in some capacity, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Knight Edge Media, which first broke the news of Watts’ involvement, reported that Ridley is expected to appear in a minor role that could expand in subsequent installments. Casting is reportedly underway for relatively unknown male and female leads.

No other stars from the sequel trilogy are attached to the project at this time.

Project Status and Production Timeline

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the project is still in development and has not yet been greenlit by Disney. It is described as the furthest along in development after Star Wars: Starfighter. Production on Episode X could potentially begin in 2027, though no official schedule has been announced. A release date, title, and full cast have not been confirmed.

Connection to Star Wars: Starfighter

Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, is currently in post-production and is set for release on May 28, 2027. That film is a standalone story set about five years after The Rise of Skywalker. The new Skywalker trilogy would mark a return to the main episodic saga.

Lucasfilm has not commented on the reports. The project remains in early development, with no official greenlight from Disney and no confirmed production start date.