‘Star Wars’ update: Patty Jenkins, Kevin Feige projects shelved as movie drought continues

Christopher Rosen
·3 min read
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Just when will the next “Star Wars” movie debut in theaters? Disney has set December 19, 2025, as the release date for an untitled “Star Wars” project, nearly six years to the day since the last film in the “Star Wars” franchise, “The Rise of Skywalker,” made its theatrical bow. But what that film might be, and whether it will even hit that date, remains uncertain – especially in the wake of a report by Variety on Tuesday that caused another disturbance in the Force.

According to Variety, “Star Wars” movies shepherded by “Wonder Woman” filmmaker Patty Jenkins and Marvel creative lead Kevin Feige have been shelved, while “The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson’s return to the galaxy far, far away will remain delayed as Johnson works on another Benoit Blanc film and more episodes of “Poker Face.” That leaves a potential feature from Taika Waititi as one possibility for the December 2025 slot (according to Variety, Waititi apparently also wants to appear in his film) or a project from filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy with a script co-written by Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson as another option.

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Jenkins was first announced as the director of a possible film called “Rogue Squadron” in December 2020. In December of last year, Jenkins said she was still developing the film, but suggested it might not happen despite her enthusiasm for the material.

Feige’s project was written by “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” writer Michael Waldron. In interviews last year pegged to that film’s release, Waldron offered some updates on the progress. “It’s coming along, it’s nice to have some time to focus on it,” Waldron said to Den of Geek. “And it’s fun to get to do something that feels fresh and original, and I’m excited to work with Kevin again, and with the team at Lucasfilm. And I love Star Wars. So it’s a blast.”

Speaking to Variety, Waldron said with “Doctor Strange” behind him, “Star Wars” was a priority. “We’re finally into it in earnest. I mean, I’m writing away. It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m enjoying having the freedom on that to do something that’s not necessarily a sequel or anything. It maybe has a little bit less of a — it just doesn’t have a bunch of TV shows and movies that you’re servicing on top of it, the way I did with ‘Doctor Strange.’ So it’s nice. It feels like a different exercise.”

“Star Wars” continues to thrive on the small screen despite its absence from theaters. The new season of “The Mandalorian” debuted last week and “Andor” was a critical favorite late last year and is a strong contender for 2023 Emmy Awards recognition. Other series from the “Star Wars” universe coming to Disney+ include “Ahsoka” with Rosario Dawson, “The Acolyte” by director Leslye Headland, and “Skeleton Crew” by “Spider-Man” filmmaker Jon Watts.

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