Damon Lindelof‘s exit from the Star Wars universe was not a mutual decision, the writer confirmed in a new Esquire interview. The “Lost” and “The Leftovers” co-creator boarded a new Star Wars movie in 2022 with “Ms. Marvel” director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attached to direct. Lindelof brought on Justin Britt-Gibson (“Counterpart,” “Into the Badlands”) to co-write the project with him. The duo exited the film in February.
“I was in more than talks to join the Star Wars universe,” Lindelof told Esquire. “I joined the Star Wars universe and was asked to leave.”
Lindelof and Britt-Gibson were replaced as writers by Steven Knight, best known in recent years as the creator of “Peaky Blinders.” Obaid-Chinoy remained as director amid the screenwriting transition. Lindelof told PvNew earlier this month that his script was “a true labor of love.”
“I wish them all the best of luck,” Lindelof added to PvNew. “Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is an incredible director, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.”
At Star Wars Celebration, it was announced that Obaid-Chinoy and Knight’s movie is actually a sequel to 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and will feature the return of Daisy Ridley’s Rey to the franchise. It’s still unconfirmed whether Lindelof was also planning a Rey-centric movie for Obaid-Chinoy to direct, although rumors have claimed as such.
“Will I get back in line outside the club and try to get back in again?” Lindelof told Esquire about returning to Star Wars in the future. “Absolutely. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again… or again again try, as Yoda would say.”
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that Ridley’s new “Star Wars” movie will follow Rey as she builds a new Jedi Order, adding in an interview with IGN that fans will pick up with Rey well over a decade after “The Rise of Skywalker.”
“Well we’re 15 years out from‘Rise of Skywalker,’ so we’re post-war, post-First Order, and the Jedi are in disarray,” Kennedy /confirm/ied. “There’s a lot of discussion around, ‘Who are the Jedi? What are they doing? What’s the state of the galaxy?’ She’s attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order, based on the books, based on what she promised Luke, so that’s where we’re going.”
Disney has not yet announced a release date for the new Rey movie.
