When Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters exactly one month from today, it will be the end of the decades-long Skywalker Saga. In addition, it will usher in a time of uncertainty as no new Star Wars projects have been announced, other than an untitled film planned for December 2022 in the spot vacated by the departure of Benioff and Weiss.
But according to THR, Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy knows who she wants to direct that film, but it won’t be announced until January. The timing is advantageous. It quiets any fans who may be concerned about Star Wars‘ lack of direction and gives them something to look forward to. Whoever this director turns out to will have no current ties to any Star Wars film.
So let the speculation begin! Rian Johnson has a trilogy in the works but it’s still very early by all accounts. A film produced by Marvel’s Kevin Feige was also said by Kennedy to be “a ways off”, but is 2022 just the right timing? With Disney+ series The Mandalorian the hottest thing on TV right now, Jon Favreau or Dave Filoni have to be considered possibilities. Favreau’s importance to Disney as a director can’t be understated, and Filoni is one of the great Star Wars architects.
My hope is that Lucasfilm breaks its habit of hiring whoever the hot-at-the-moment director is, because that hasn’t worked out too well, lately. The last thing Kennedy needs is to fire another high-profile filmmaker over creative differences. This would also be an opportunity for her to hire a woman or a person of color. Both Rick Famuyiwa and Deborah Chow are directing episodes of The Mandalorian and would be fantastic choices.
