Actress Daisy Ridley is returning to the role of Rey in the upcoming Star Wars movie, Star Wars: New Jedi Order, from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and screenwriter Steven Knight. The project is still early in development, with rumors flying around about the status of the script, and whether the film’s 2026 release date is still obtainable, but Ridley continues to assure fans that the story is one worth waiting for.
Ridley previously said the new story is “not what I expected,” and “something very special,” but she has recently mentioned that the whole idea for the picture is “cool as shit.” She explained in an interview with Variety, when asked how the franchise’s first female director would impact the series:
“The short answer is I don’t know. I’m excited to do the job, but not because Sharmeen is a woman. Her documentaries are amazing. Her idea for the story is cool as shit. No spoilers, but she gave me a rundown of the entire story. If it weren’t amazing, I would have been like, ‘OK, call me in five years.’ But it’s worthwhile.”
When asked if it might feel weird to make a Star Wars movie without her co-stars, Adam Driver, John Boyega or Oscar Isaac, she responded:
“No, because I don’t know what is what or who is who [in the new movie]. So much has happened for me [since the Skywalker saga]. I feel like a grown-up now. When I first started, I was, like, 20. I was the youngest on set. It took me the first two ‘Star Wars’ films to feel worthy of being there. Now I’m in my 30s. The whole thing feels quite different. I’ve been able to work with other filmmakers, and hopefully, I’ve got better as a performer.”
There’s been so much hype with so little details about this movie! Hopefully this May at Star Wars Celebration we will hear some of the story details to hold us over for a while. As of right now, the film is in development, and is slated for a May 22, 2026 theatrical release.
