27 September 2026 · 0 views

Jon Watts to Direct New Star Wars Feature Film

Jon Watts to Direct Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Feature Film

I. Introduction

Lucasfilm is expanding its theatrical development slate with director Jon Watts attached to helm an upcoming Star Wars feature film Source 1, Source 5. The project marks a significant step in Walt Disney Studios’ strategy to return the franchise to cinemas worldwide. Watts transitions to feature films after establishing strong ties with Lucasfilm through live-action television development. The studio continues recruiting high-profile blockbuster directors to build out its post-Skywalker saga cinematic roadmap. For fans tracking the franchise’s theatrical future, the Watts attachment signals that Lucasfilm is treating its next wave of films as a multi-director slate rather than a single tentpole release, spreading creative and commercial risk across several established filmmakers.

II. The Jon Watts Announcement: What We Know

A. Development Status vs. Official Greenlight

Industry reports confirm that Jon Watts is developing a new theatrical entry for Lucasfilm Source 1. The production remains in active development rather than holding a formal studio greenlight Source 7.

Lucasfilm maintains a structured internal pipeline:

Script drafting and revisions.
Budgetary modeling and scheduling approvals.
Formal greenlight issuance.
Official production commencement.

The project currently sits in early creative and script phases Source 7. Lucasfilm has not yet announced a principal photography start date or finalized the production budget.

This distinction matters for readers trying to gauge how close the film is to production. “In development” means a studio has approved a concept for continued creative work, such as scripting and early planning, but has not committed the financing or scheduling resources needed to begin filming. A formal greenlight, by contrast, locks in budget, casting, and production windows. Until Lucasfilm issues that greenlight, plot details, casting, and release dates for the Watts project should be treated as unconfirmed, even as reports about the director’s attachment circulate.

B. Watts’ Interest and Involvement

Watts has publicly expressed enthusiasm for working within the Star Wars universe Source 3. Lucasfilm leadership targets filmmakers with proven commercial track records who can navigate large-scale visual effects pipelines and global franchise expectations. Watts brings experience managing multi-billion-dollar franchise installments under strict studio parameters.

That combination of enthusiasm and franchise-scale experience is precisely what Lucasfilm has prioritized in recent hiring decisions. Directors attached to major Star Wars projects typically need to coordinate with multiple internal departments, including visual effects, practical production design, and legacy continuity oversight, while still delivering a story that can stand on its own. Watts’ willingness to work within those constraints, paired with his demonstrated interest in the franchise, positions him as a fit for Lucasfilm’s current directorial strategy.

III. Jon Watts’ Creative Profile and Lucasfilm History

A. The MCU Spider-Man Trilogy Success

Watts directed Marvel Studios’ entire Homecoming trilogy for Sony Pictures and Disney:

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The trilogy generated over $3.9 billion in global box office revenue. Spider-Man: No Way Home alone grossed over $1.9 billion worldwide, demonstrating Watts’ ability to balance legacy character ensembles, nostalgia-driven narratives, and character-focused coming-of-age arcs. These attributes align directly with Lucasfilm’s core storytelling requirements.

Across the three films, Watts managed an expanding ensemble cast while keeping the central character’s personal journey intact, a balancing act comparable to what a Star Wars film must achieve when juggling legacy lore, new characters, and franchise-wide continuity. That track record of scaling a story’s cast and stakes across sequels while preserving emotional throughlines is a direct point of comparison to the demands of a Star Wars feature.

B. Previous Star Wars Collaboration: Skeleton Crew

Watts co-created and executive produced the live-action Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew alongside writer Christopher Ford. The series follows four children lost in the galaxy attempting to navigate their way home, blending Amblin-style adventure with classic Star Wars lore. This production established direct operational relationships between Watts, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni.

Those existing relationships are notable because Lucasfilm’s television and film divisions frequently share creative oversight. A director who has already worked directly with Kennedy and Filoni on a Disney+ series enters feature development with institutional familiarity that a first-time collaborator would not have, which can streamline approvals during the script and pre-production stages described above.

IV. Potential Plot, Era, and Character Connections

A. Connection to the Post-Sequel Era and Daisy Ridley

Reports indicate the project may connect directly to the continuing storyline of Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker Source 9. Lucasfilm is actively mapping out the New Jedi Order era set fifteen years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Potential narrative pathways include:

Integrating Rey’s efforts to rebuild the Jedi Academy.
Introducing a new generation of Force users trained under Rey.
Addressing galactic power vacuums following the fall of the First Order.

Each of these pathways would place the Watts project within an already-announced timeframe of the franchise rather than an entirely new era, which is one reason reports link it to Ridley’s character rather than to an unrelated storyline. None of these narrative directions have been confirmed by Lucasfilm as final, and they should be read as plausible directions consistent with the broader New Jedi Order setup rather than settled plot points.

B. Standalone Feature vs. Skywalker Saga Continuity

Lucasfilm is evaluating whether to position the project as a standalone cinematic entry or integrate it as a foundational installment in a new mainline saga Source 9. A standalone film offers creative flexibility with isolated locations and fresh character rosters. A core continuity film requires direct alignment with existing lore, legacy cameos, and overarching franchise storylines.

The choice between these two structures affects nearly every downstream production decision, from casting to marketing positioning. A standalone approach would let Watts build a self-contained story without needing to reconcile every plot thread from the sequel trilogy, while a mainline continuity film would require tighter coordination with the other directors on Lucasfilm’s slate to avoid contradicting parallel storylines set in the same era.

V. Lucasfilm’s Theatrical Roadmap and Strategic Shift

A. The Director-Driven Slate

Lucasfilm is assembling a theatrical slate led by established genre directors Source 1:

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: Post-Sequel Rey Skywalker film.
James Mangold: Dawn of the Jedi project exploring the origin of the Force.
Dave Filoni: Climax feature connecting The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett.
Jon Watts: Next-generation feature film development Source 1, Source 5.

This strategy diversifies the cinematic slate across distinct historical eras of the galaxy.

Each director on this list has been assigned a distinct time period or storyline within the franchise’s timeline, from the earliest origins of the Force under Mangold to the live-action television-connected climax under Filoni. Watts’ project, tied to the post-sequel era, fills the gap dedicated to the franchise’s next generation of characters, giving Lucasfilm simultaneous coverage of the past, present, and future of the Star Wars timeline across its active development slate.

B. Managing Franchise Development Pipelines

Lucasfilm historically initiates multiple parallel feature tracks to mitigate production risks. Advancing a project from active development to physical pre-production requires a finalized screenplay, executive sign-off, casting commitments, and space allocation across physical production facilities.

Running several projects through development simultaneously allows Lucasfilm to advance whichever script and directorial pairing proves most production-ready first, rather than committing all resources to a single film that could stall during scripting or budgeting. This parallel-track approach explains why multiple directors, including Obaid-Chinoy, Mangold, Filoni, and Watts, can all be reported as attached to projects at once without any of them yet holding a confirmed release date.

VI. Projected Timeline and Release Strategy

Disney currently holds reserved theatrical release slots for untitled Star Wars films across upcoming calendar years.

Development and production milestones follow standard parameters:

Screenplay Finalization: 6 to 12 months.
Pre-Production and Casting: 6 months.
Principal Photography: 4 to 6 months.
Post-Production and VFX: 10 to 14 months.

Under these parameters, any newly greenlit project typically requires a minimum of 24 to 36 months from pre-production to global theatrical release.

Applying these standard parameters to the Watts project, and given that the film remains in the early script phase rather than pre-production, a realistic release window would only begin to take shape once Lucasfilm issues a formal greenlight. Until that milestone is reached, any release-date speculation remains outside the confirmed timeline outlined above.

VII. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Jon Watts officially directing the next Star Wars movie?

Reports confirm Jon Watts is attached to direct a Star Wars feature film currently in development at Lucasfilm Source 1, Source 5.

Has the project been greenlit by Disney and Lucasfilm?

No. The project is in active development and has not received an official production greenlight Source 7.

Will Daisy Ridley appear in Jon Watts’ Star Wars film?

Initial reports link the project to storylines involving Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker, though character inclusions remain unconfirmed by Lucasfilm Source 9.

What prior Star Wars projects has Jon Watts worked on?

Jon Watts co-created and executive produced the live-action series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew for Disney+.

What other major franchises has Jon Watts directed?

Watts directed Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

When is the Jon Watts Star Wars film expected to release?

Lucasfilm and Disney have not announced an official release date. Release scheduling depends on screenplay finalization and production greenlight status.

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