‘Star Wars’ Plans ‘Knights of the Old Republic’ Film Trilogy With First Female Writer Since 1980 — Report
It looks like the “Star Wars” film franchise following the release of “The Rise of Skywalker” later this year is slowly coming into focus. According to a new report from BuzzFeed, Lucasfilm is gearing up for a potential new trilogy based on the video game series “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” that started in 2003. Sources close to the studio say Laeta Kalogridis is finishing the script for the first movie after coming on board the project in spring 2018.
Lucasfilm’s hiring of Kalogridis is a historic one for the “Star Wars” movie franchise as no sole female screenwriter has ever been behind a “Star Wars” script. The only credited female writer in the “Star Wars” movie universe is Leigh Brackett, who shared a credit with Lawrence Kasdan on 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back.” Since then, only men have written “Star Wars” movies and the franchise has come under fire in recent years for only hiring male writers and directors to develop its movies.
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Kalogridis is a Hollywood veteran, having worked on scripts for “Terminator Genisys,” Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island,” and most recently “Alita: Battle Angel.” Kalogridis was an executive producer on James Cameron’s “Avatar” and is also the creator of Netflix’s science-fiction series “Altered Carbon,” which is returning for a second season later this year.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy stoked interest in a potential “Knights of the Old Republic” series earlier this year at Star Wars Celebration. Speaking to MTV News, Kennedy said “we are developing something to look at” after she was asked about an “Old Republic” film series. Kennedy added, “Right now, I have no idea where things might fall.”
One direction the “Star Wars” movie franchise will definitely be going in after “The Rise of Skywalker” is a new series of films developed by “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Walt Disney Company chairman Bob Iger confirmed earlier this month Benioff and Weiss would be writing and directing a “Star Wars” movie set for release on December 16, 2022.
The next “Star Wars” movie, “The Rise of Skywalker,” opens in theaters December 20. Head over to BuzzFeed for more on the developing “Old Republic” film. IndieWire has reached out to Lucasfilm and Disney for further comment.
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